Looking forward to the Boxing Day sales? An expert tells you what to look out for

Newly published research by PwC has learned that of the 200 online retailers analysed, the majority of Black Friday discounts were not as significant as previous years, resulting in a higher volume of seasonal stock across many retailers. 

As a result of this, it's predicted many of these retailers will ramp up Boxing Day sales activity this year, offering greater discounts in an attempt to incentivise shoppers keen to bag the best of deals.

Nick Drewe, Discount Expert and founder of online coupon platform, Wethrift, has provided his savvy shopping tips that will help people to shop smarter and secure the best deals during the Boxing Day sales. 

Find products before you shop 

“Savvy Boxing Day shoppers know the best way to secure deals is by finding the highest quality products before the big day. It’s vital to do some research before the sales begin, taking into account which products and brands have the best reviews on your wishlist items. 

“Many brands will add their best deals well before the Boxing Day event, making grabbing yourself a bargain even easier. For that reason, you’ll want to start your shopping as early as the start of November. It's easy to get carried away and buy things that you don’t really need, so create a list ahead of the sale event, to avoid any temptation on Boxing Day bargains. 

Price match on rival sites 

“Always scope out offers in advance, to ensure you’re getting the best deal that you can. Many retailers will be offering Boxing Day deals, so check the store website in advance to see which is providing the biggest discount on your selected items.

“To save yourself the largest sum, download a product price tracker that monitors the price of different items in your wishlist. This notifies you which brands, including Amazon, Groupon, Very and more have the most significant discounts and when the prices drop. 

“Google Shopping is the simplest and most effective way to compare prices of products across multiple different websites. 

Load your basket before the day

“Products are likely to sell out quickly this Boxing Day, as more people hunt for Christmas bargains. To avoid disappointment, place all your items on your wish list ahead of the big day, ready to go directly into your basket as soon as the sale hits. 

“Have a backup plan at the ready. If your product is likely to sell out this Boxing Day, have your items saved in a wishlist on multiple sites and leave the tabs open. Don’t leave it till the day of the sale to find other sites that list your wishlist products.

Shop earlier 

“Often, many major retailers will launch their Boxing Day sales online a day or two early, meaning  you could bag the best deals as early as Christmas Eve. Take the time to look at your favourite retailers’ websites ahead of the 26th to see if any sales are already live. This is an ideal way to avoid disappointment if items were to sell out on Boxing Day.

Sign up for newsletters 

“Ahead of the big day, follow retailers on social media and sign up for their email newsletters to be among the first to find out about their big deals. Some brands even provide members with early access to the sale and show exclusive deals that you’d otherwise miss out on. 

“Check before you purchase any items ahead of the big sale event, as some retailers provide price adjustment guarantees on products. They will also refund the difference if the price reduces further on Boxing Day and Cyber Monday. 

Use Alexa to find Amazon deals 

“If you have an Amazon Alexa you’ll be able to bag yourself some exclusive Boxing Day deals this November. Alexa will notify Amazon Prime members when products in their wish list shopping cart go on sale. You need to enable deal recommendations in your settings and add your wishlist products to your shopping cart. 

“Once you are all set up, ask Alexa “What are my deals” and the bot will bring up Amazon's hottest savings on all your products. 

Find extra coupon codes 

“Once you’ve found the biggest savings, have a look to see if you can find any additional vouchers that will give you an extra discount. 

“Also, if you sign up for newsletters and become a store member of brands in advance, you are likely to receive introductory offers on your first purchase. 

Make sure you're getting a genuine deal 

“To ensure you’re getting a great deal this Boxing Day, it's important to track the price of products to see how much you’ll be saving. 

“Price history tools such as PriceSpy, Alertr and CamelCamelCamel lets you check to see how the cost of the product has changed. This will help you decide if it's really a good Boxing Day deal or just made to look like one.”

That's Christmas would like to thank Nick for helping us with this feature. https://www.wethrift.com

Salcombe Brewery Co. Announces Black Friday Donation to Devon Environment Foundation

The Salcombe Brewery Co. is delighted to announce it will be donating 10% of the profits from its Black Friday (24th November) online sales to the Devon Environment Foundation.

Jordan Mace, who is MD of Salcombe Brewery Co. explains: “Black Friday has become a huge commercial event over the last few years but we don't think it sits well with the spirit of Christmas. To redress the balance and put the focus back on the festive ethos of giving and sharing, we've decided to make a donation to the Devon Environment Fund this year. We're very excited to be supporting an organisation that, like us, feels passionate about our local environment.”

The Devon Environment Foundation provides grants for grassroots projects that regenerate nature. Some of the projects they've recently awarded funds to include 'Save our Seagrass', 'Devon Birds' Swift Boxes' and 'South Hams Marine Life Rescue'. Salcombe Brewery Co. donated 10% of all profits from online sales on Friday 24th November to support the work of this foundation.

For further information on Salcombe Brewery Co. please visit www.salcombebrewery.com follow Salcombe Brewery Co. on X, Facebook and Instagram.  

For further information on The Devon Environment Foundation please visit www.devonenvironment.org or follow them on Instagram, Facebook or X.

Savvy Shoppers are looking for Christmas bargains

Esendex data has learned that over three-quarters (78%) of UK consumers will stop spending up to a month before Black Friday so they can snap up bargains in the sales. Retailers need to be ready early, with over half (51%) of consumers wanting to hear about Black Friday up to two weeks in advance, and a further 28% wanting news a month ahead.

Head of Professional Services at Esendex, Chris Gorman, says the data shows UK shoppers are looking for personalised marketing, with SMS text and email top of the list and WhatsApp growing in popularity. “These channels are where shoppers talk to each other, so why not the companies and brands they buy from?

“With statistics showing 48% of people are on their phone between four and eight hours a day, and seven in ten checking any unread notifications within five minutes, SMS and WhatsApp are two of the quickest ways to grab the attention of customers.”

Optimise the online experience!

Ecommerce has gone some way towards levelling the field for small and large retailers. Building an online presence makes products more accessible than a bricks and mortar store, and gives smaller retailers access to a larger audience, too. A well-built website that’s optimised for mobile users with a smooth online experience, can improve brand credibility, extend reach, and make promotional campaigns more cost-effective.

Extend platform choice

On average, UK consumers are bombarded with between 6,000 and 10,000 ads a day, even outside of peak trading periods, so little wonder that the battle for engagement is intense.

When shoppers are looking for bargains, they're often shopping on all channels at once. And those hunting for bargains on four or more platforms will spend on average 9% more with a business than single channel shoppers.

Deliver value, not just discount

It’s easy to think peak season sales are all about discounts, but consumer behaviour has changed, and value isn’t always about price. UK consumers are more conscious than ever of a need to support smaller independent businesses and to contribute to their local community.

Obviously, That's Christmas sees a massive increase in people visiting our site from August/September onwards to Christmas Even itself, as they search for Christmas gifts, foods, drinks, new and traditional recipes to try and, especially keeping in mind the current cost of living situation, as readers of That's Christmas are smart and savvy shoppers, they are also looking for money saving bargains, too!

Please remember to save http://thatschristmas.blogspot.co.uk to your favourites bar or folder!

https://www.esendex.co.uk

(Image courtesy of R-region from Pixabay)