Black Friday Shopping

BLACK

FRIDAY Shopping

MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

Black Friday is one the biggest shopping days of the year, and is often the perfect time to begin holiday shopping and save money on incredible deals. Thousands of eager shoppers will leave their homes in the early morning hours and wait in lines at stores in order to grab the best prices of the season, while retailers will be gearing up to lure the greatest number of shoppers. Surviving the day unscathed and arriving home with discounts galore involves having a game plan for success.

* Know the prices of the items you want to buy. Scour advertisements in advance of Black Friday to gauge the regular retail prices for common items, including electronics. Comparison shop for the best prices and make notes to help you when Black Friday arrives.

* Understand the fine print of "door busters." Door buster sales are meant to get shoppers into stores, where retailers hope shoppers will make additional purchases while taking advantage of advertised deals. If door buster items are all you're looking for, read the advertisements carefully, noting the start and end time of the discounts and if there will be limited quantities. In addition, determine if there is a special return policy for sale items purchased on Black Friday.

* Dress for comfort. Wear sensible, comfortable shoes and clothing when shopping. Leave a large purse at home and opt for something compact that can be draped securely over your shoulder and body to navigate the crowds. Keep your coat in the car or make use of a coat check service if available. Dress in layers if you will be waiting outside for stores to open. This way you can shed clothing as the mercury rises or when you get inside.

* Arrive together but shop separately. The "divide and conquer" method of shopping allows everyone in your shopping party to score good deals. Split up shopping tasks and then head to different areas of the store. Share and collect your purchases when you meet up after the rush.

* Make a list and stick to it. Buyers' remorse come Saturday morning is common for those who have overextended their budgets and purchased items they did not need. Know ahead of time what you plan to purchase and do not veer off course.

* Scout the stores ahead of time. Visit the stores where you plan to shop a few days before Black Friday. Learn the layout of the store and where everything is located. Try on certain clothes or read over the labels of big-ticket items you plan to buy. Knowing where items are located and having all of your information in advance will cut down on the time it takes to find items on Black Friday.

* Don't overlook nontraditional stores. Many other stores, from pharmacies to supermarkets, stock items apart from food and toiletries. Consider taking advantage of their sales for some Black Friday deals.

* Park off campus. Mall parking lots can get just as crowded as the stores themselves. Save yourself time and the stress of finding a spot by parking near the store but away from the crowd. For those who will be buying large, heavy items, find out if the store will ship the merchandise or will hold it aside until you can take it home. Understand that some stores will not hold items and enlist a friend or spouse to help you pack purchases into the car.

* Promptly store receipts. Designate a folder or envelope for all of your receipts to keep them organized and handy.

* Pack a small snack and drink. It's easy to become dehydrated and hungry waiting in long lines, which can compromise your decision-making abilities. Bring a snack so that you can recharge your body and continue shopping.

* Leave the kids at home. Black Friday shopping can be stressful, and children can easily get lost or bumped around in the fray. It is safer to leave them home so you can focus your full attention on shopping.

* Know when to call it quits. Establish a firm cut-off time for ending your shopping excursion. This way you can head home, rest and sort through your purchases.

Christmas Shop Features • Christmas Decorations • Homemade Sweets, • Coffee Shop • Ice Cream Treats & More!

See Santa!

Beginning the day Friday 5-7PM after Thanksgiving! Saturday 12-4pm

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Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Beginning the day after Thanksgiving Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm Sunday 1pm-6pm

SHOP & SWEETS

4699 Linville Falls Hwy Newland, NC 28657 828-737-9313 www.SnowyMountainChristmasShopandSweets.com

This Holiday Season Shop Local

No more than ever, your local community needs you. It's no secret that COVID-19 related closures and restrictions have impacted our country's many small businesses in numerous challenging ways. The global pandemic has thrown one too many hurdles in the path of nearly every small business owner, constantly testing their ability to profitably adjust their business model and keep their passion alive month after month.

With the holiday season coming into full swing, it's more important than ever to keep our small businesses top of mind when tackling our shopping lists. Sure, every television channel or social media you flip through right now is filled with catchy holiday advertisements from the chain stores, promising the biggest and best sales of the season. And the immense rise of online shopping (conglomerate Amazon) has helped us loose sight of those right here in our back doors.

While there's no arguing that online shopping can be convenient, what "warm and fuzzy" feeling do you get from that type of transaction? Does easiness trump the emotional benefits you'd feel from contributing to someone's livelihood during a terribly trying time by shopping local? The ability we all have to support our hometown's brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends — all the people who make our community a wonderful place to live — will always be worth the collective time and effort in our book. And here's why.

Shopping local helps grow your community's economy.

According to the American Independent Business Alliance (AIBA), when you shop local, approximately 48% of the cost of your purchase is recirculated back into the local economy. When you shop at a chain store, that number drops to less than 14%. Instead of taking your hard-earned dollars to a billion-dollar chain store, think about how beneficial it would be to invest them in your local economy and help support a small business owner’s family. We can all agree that every dollar helps, especially around Christmas time during an ongoing pandemic.

Shopping local gives your community’s creatives much-needed exposure.

Our small community is full of incredibly talented artists who can’t afford shop space until their business takes off, leading them to partner with local businesses to sell their products at a storefront. So when you shop local, you give those craftspeople the exposure and funding they need to grow their business. Picture giving your mom the gift of a handmade wreath, piece of jewelry, or painting she’s always talked about this Christmas. She’ll feel extra special