Black Friday Archives - Foreign policy

Black Friday, Do Not Be Tempted

Published on November 12, 2020

Business

Shopping on Black Friday sales has turned into some sort of a ritual in America. From huge crowds gushing into the store to buying stuff that you don’t need, all this is very common when it is Black Friday.

There was a time when this day was a thing. But with every year it has only got terrible. If you are smart kind, you would want to avoid Black Friday sales. This may sound legit crazy to many of you shopping freaks. But we have more than one reason to give.

We don’t have anything against huge sales. No doubt, it’s great for brands as it helps them boost their sales. But it is better to shop during other times of the year than to rush to the stores on this day.

Why you should avoid Black Friday sales?

We agree Black Friday sales are tempting. It is at this time of the year when big brands offer huge discounts and free items. You can buy all your favorite things at half the price or even less. Everything sounds great, but do you think participating in this madness is worth it?

There are so many reasons why Black Friday is over-hyped. Whether you agree or not, you can find good deals throughout the year. For instance, you can check out sites like Shoppok where you can find many great deals to grab. You don’t have to particularly wait for deals to buy your stuff.

Here are some of the main reasons why you should not be tempted by Black Friday:

1. Too much crowd

The first and most obvious reason to avoid Black Friday is the massive crowd at shopping malls and stores. This is the very reason why many people have stopped shopping on this crazy day.

With so many people in the store, it becomes extremely difficult to shop. Not to mention the long queues at the bill counter and no space for parking. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days in a year. During this time, safety protocols are dropped in many places. This means it’s no longer safe to shop in crowded malls.

Instead of pushing through the crowd and shopping, it’s better to order online. You can check the exclusive deals available on other sites and buy all the stuff you need. This site offers you equally better deals as Black Friday.

2. Shopping becomes difficult

Shopping is done best when you have fewer people around you. But on this shopping day that is not even an option. People wait in long queues outside malls for the shops to open. They rush into the store as if it’s their life’s last shopping day. In such a crowded situation, it becomes extremely difficult to shop.

When shopping on normal days, we like to compare products and check the quality before finally paying for it. But all this is impossible on Black Friday. During this time people don’t do product research, they just buy whatever is there in front of them. This increases the chances of buying a defective or wrong product.

It is better to shop online in peace than to visit an overly crowded mall. You can get equally better deals on other websites. They offer great deals on all sorts of items.

3. Leads to unnecessary spending

Retailers take advantage of your inability to resist the buying craze all around you. During the biggest sales day of the year, people don’t think much. They see an attractive product at discount, they buy it. They don’t even think about whether they need that product or not. This leads to unnecessary spending.

You think you are saving money on all your purchases. But in reality, you are spending the saved money on buying unnecessary stuff just because they are available at huge discounts.

Many retailers offer time-specific deals and offers. This creates even more craze among the buyers as they fight through the crowd to buy it. You would probably get these items at a better price somewhere online. But the craze of Black Friday sale blinds you.

4. You get better shopping deals throughout the year

Black Friday is not the only time when you get attractive offers and deals. Today, almost all online shopping stores and apps offer exclusive deals throughout the year. If you want to buy something, then you have the whole year to shop. You particularly don’t have to wait for Black Friday sales.

With the advent of online shopping, you can buy any item imaginable from the comfort of your house. There is no need for you to push through the crowd and waste your time.

You just have to keep a check on the online deals. As soon as, the seasonal sales starts, you can buy all your stuff online. This is any day better than wasting away half your thanksgiving day getting elbowed by strangers.

5. Sale items are cheaper brands

In most cases, you will see all the cheaper brands offering huge discounts. You will rarely come across big brands like Apple and Samsung offering discounts up to 75%. If you still feel tempted to buy this cheaper stuff, God is with you. That’s because there is a high chance that these items will not last for long.

Buying cheaper brands on sale is simply wasting money. They usually don’t provide any guarantee and even if they do, it’s only for a short period. Instead of wasting your money on such items, you can buy something worthwhile in online stores. Big brands often provide attractive offers online.

From the above discussion, one thing is clear that Black Friday sales are over-hyped big time. You can buy the same items on sale throughout the year. There is no need for you to waste your time on Black Friday deals. One of the worst things about Black Friday is that it makes you lose your Thanksgiving Day as they open early on Thursday.

Final words

Resisting temptation is always difficult, especially when it comes to discounts. But the biggest selling day of the year has ceased to be so with the advent of online shopping.

Take care of yourself, your health, and your money.

Treat Yourself with the Best Discount Offers!

Published on April 21, 2020

Business

Everyone loves a bargain. We look for ways in which we can get the most fantastic offer. Wasting money is not an option for most people and even those who have a lot of funds like the feeling of buying something at a lower price. Sales are people’s favorite opportunities, and these days there are even specialized sites dedicated solely to finding the best discounts, like Coupon Codes Me, for example. Besides, the discount offers are so popular at the moment, almost nobody shops online anymore without looking for a discount, promotional code, or a coupon first.

Types of discounted offers

There are a few types of discounts and offers out there at your disposal. Here the most commonly used ones:

Percentage-based discount – the most popular offers out there. It can include smaller incentive percentages like 5% off; larger rates are sales drivers like 20%, significant percentages are used to liquidate old products.
Money value discount – it can be positioned as a credit. The example of this type of offer is as follows “Spend $250, get $25 off.”
Free shipping – Shipping costs are one of the most frequent reasons for shopping cart abandonment. Offering free shipping is a fantastic way to increase sales.
Free gift – this offer doesn’t need much explanation. It is a classic, pay for 2 get the third item free.

You can expect these offers to come in two forms, either as an automated discount or as a coupon code that you get through the website or via email. Also, please remember that the discounts are usually not possible to combine, so make sure you calculate the best deal out of all of them.

Holiday and seasonal discounts

There are times of the year when you can rely on the discounts being really high. The prime examples here are Black Friday or Cyber Monday as well as Christmas discounts, but the whole year is full of different kinds of holidays that provide an opportunity for the shops to introduce a discount. You can expect a discount on flowers on Valentine’s day or a special offer for chocolate bunnies just before Easter. In some cases, it is best to wait for the right time, especially if you wish to buy a more expensive product, like a TV or a phone. Taking advantage of Black Friday in this instance is the right course of action.

Become a gift card specialist

Here is a trick for the times there aren’t many discounted offers at the table. It turns out; gift cards aren’t just useful as a gift option. Often, you can buy gift cards online for less than their listed value, because people don’t want them and try to get some additional cash instead. You can check out some sites like Cardpool or Gift Card Granny to see if there are any gift cards from brands you look for available. You can also buy them from private individuals on Facebook groups or other large communities. By doing so, you can effectively get a great deal on anything you can buy with a gift card.

Pretend to be a student

Another great way to get an additional discount is to be a student. There are thousands of student’s discounts available. So if you’re currently enrolled in a school, you can hope for discounts on things ranging from software to laptops to office supplies and some more. Of course, technically, you can’t be a student all your life. However, if you have flexible ethics, you can still use your old uni email address or school ID to get the same discounts. It’s not entirely legal, but as long as it works, it works. If you like taking a risk, this option might be for you.

Get to know some simple negotiations tactics

Not all of our shopping gets done online, and when it doesn’t, there is some space for negotiations on the price. Because, if the tag with a discount is not on the product, it doesn’t matter that you can’t get a discount. You would be surprised at how many products you can negotiate for, not just massive deals like houses or cars. With a few simple tactics up your sleeve, you should get lower prices on most hostings you wish to have. The key to success here is to prepare yourself before you enter a shop. Make sure to do your research beforehand and listen carefully to the other party involved in the trade. Chances are you can get a lot of clues on where you can negotiate. If you play it right, you will get a fantastic offer in no time.

Abandon your basket first

If you aren’t in a rush to purchase a specific product, you can take advantage of the online shops. With close to 70% of all potential customers abandoning their shopping baskets, abandoned baskets email offers can be a powerful tactic to use. What you can do is simply put the item in your shopping basket and leave it for a day or two. The shop will detect that you want to buy something but still think if it’s the right decision. And because online shops are highly competitive, they will fight for you. You can expect to get a coupon sent to your email, trying to make you come back and buy the products you wanted anyway. A lot of online stores have used this system in the past, so it’s worth a shot. All you need is a little patience, and you just might get the best deal out there.

Finding the best-discounted offer might seem like a difficult task, but it really isn’t. All you need to do is a tiny bit of research before you decide to buy something. Look through online sites specializing in discounts, then wait for the right time and finally, try some of the additional tactics like negotiation or abandoning your shopping basket. A little bit of patience and you will outsmart the online and traditional retailers. Get the best deals you can, and save some money for other necessary purchases.

Strikes Continue as Canada Post Goes Into Chaos and CUPW Requests for a Mediator

Published on November 20, 2018

Business

The Canadian postal workers Union recently asked the federal government to appoint a mediator for all contractual communications with Canada Post as it refused the Crown Corporation’s latest offer.

The Union made this request in the late hours of Saturday only minutes before the deadline was passed on all Canada Post time-sensitive proposals that were required to cease rotating strikes; thereby, affecting the approximate 42,000 urban staff members and 8,000 suburban and rural postal carriers.

As a result of the strikes alternative shipping services like Secureship.ca are being bombarded with new customers. Secure Ship spokesperson Sandy Ahluwalia said, “Although we welcome the new customers and dramatic increases in new shipping orders, we do worry for all the affected businesses, workers and families who as a result of the strikes may lose jobs, customers and at worst their business.”

Patty Hajdu, the official spokeswoman for the Labour Minister, refused to comment on whether Ottawa would oblige the postal workers’ request stating only that this is a positive sign of both parties continuing to work together to find a resolution.

Veronique Simard stated in an email that they are encouraged of talks being continued to consider all the options available in a pursuit of finding a solution.

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, weighed in with a last-minute request to both parties on Saturday night only a few hours before the final deadline at midnight regarding the Crown Corporation’s offer. In one of his Twitter posts, Trudeau cited the arrival of the holiday shopping season urging both parties to resolve their differences speedily and reach a resolution.

However, as the deadline for offers expires, the Union of Canadian Postal Workers has issued a statement saying that it had responded by giving the Crown Corporation a list of global offers addressing their [the postal workers] demands and needs.

The CUPW stated on Friday that the new proposals from Canada Post was helping to make positive steps, but this was not enough to cease the cycling strikes which have closed all postal workings in over 200 communities; thereby, creating an outstanding amount of backlog in the undelivered post. The Union said they would not present the offers to their members, yet both parties continue to sit at the bargaining tables.

When the deadline passed on Saturday night, Canada Post indicated that they were determining the following steps. The Retail Council of Canada has now urged Ottawa to bring an end to the strikes using a back-to-work legal regulation.

Diane Brisebois, the council president, described in her letter to Prime Minister Trudeau that as retail merchants, the workforce of approximately two million and consumers will now enter the busiest period of the year bringing the postal system to a near-halt.

Earlier in the week, eBay Canada contacted the government to discuss an end to the discussion before the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events begin as they are linked to the USA’s holiday Thanksgiving.

The Prime Minister stated last week that all of the options would be available to cease postal disruptions if no progress in bargaining was seen.

An anonymous government source stated that decisions to end the job strikes by Canada’s postal workers might present as early as Sunday with the use of legislation being part of “all options” mentioned by the Prime Minister.