Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Shopping on the Internet this holiday season? You're not alone! As of this writing, research firm comScore estimated that Americans would spend $1.5 billion on Cyber Monday alone, up 20 percent from last year's Cyber Monday. That's a great start to a e-commerce season expected to increase by 12% compared to last year.
60% off HDTVs at Amazon.com, 75% off jewelry at KMart.com, Sears appliances at huge discounts are among some of the deals that shoppers claimed Monday. The good news is that Cyber Monday deals will continue throughout the rest of the year according to many online retailers. Competition is fierce – and that's good for you and I.
We've been seeing many online deals that are every bit as good as Black Friday ““ and in many cases, better. The best news in my opinion? There have been no fistfights reported from Cyber Monday's activities.
Despite it's popularity, Cyber Monday isn't the most popular Internet shopping day of the season. In years past, the second Monday of December (known as “Green Monday“) was actually the largest Internet shopping day to date. This date (around ten days prior to Christmas) also ensured packages will be delivered on time for December 25th by most online retailers.
The 2012 Internet holiday shopping season started earlier and with more competition than years past. As someone who has been doing some pretty avid deal watching this season, it's been pretty hard to pass up some ridiculously low-priced gifts. You can expect the trend to continue throughout the rest of November and December. The question I frequently get is, “How do I find all the deals?”
Just as shopping in a large department store can be overwhelming, shopping online can feel like even more of a labyrinth. If you are shopping from a list and are looking for particular items, a search at http://shopping.google.com, http://shopping.com or http://pricegrabber.com is a great place to start. These sites will search across many different retailers to find the best prices ““ even while factoring shipping.
If, however, you are more in the mood to let the offers come to you to choose from, there are lots of options that can provide some pretty exciting results. Make sure to follow your favorite Internet and brick and mortar retailers on facebook and twitter and sign up for their email lists. You will almost certainly be among the first to know of the greatest deals if you check your feeds and email frequently. For the world's largest online retailer, Amazon.com, you can also use our free Amazon Deal Finder at https://savingsangel.com/amazon/ ““ which allows you to find 90% off deals on Amazon.com.
If you don't mind a bit of delay, you can check with what I call “bird dog” websites who report good deals found from around the Internet. Such sites include http://fatwallet.com, http://dealio.com, and http://slickdeals.net. We'll also be watching great holiday deals at SavingsAngel.com ““ particularly those that can be further discounted with coupons. Keep in mind, however, that inventory levels can be depleted shortly after these deals are reported on these sites ““ so it's best to do a little work on your own if you want the best selection at Internet merchants. This is especially true for clothing and shoes.
Daily Deal websites like Groupon and Living Social are trying to recapture some of their luster by working hard to figure into your holiday shopping plans. There have been incredible half-off deals on gift certificates, (I just purchased a $10 for $20 Toys R Us card last week) and discounts on local experiences, which might make a perfect gift at below Black Friday prices. You can easily track all the daily deals for Grand Rapids (or many other large cities) at http://SavingsAngel.com/deals.
You may be tempted to jump at the first good deal you see on a product you'd like. You may, however, find a better offer from a competing retailer. It's not uncommon for online retailers to engage in a price war over the course of a day. Before you click “confirm” on your purchase, you will do well to search for two things: competitor's prices and reviews. The great deal you find may actually be a commonplace sale ““ and not worthy of your commitment just yet. While a general Internet search along with the word “review” will commonly get you results, I tend to like Amazon.com's review system for most products. Make sure you rely not only on “expert reviews” but community-based reviews, as well.
If you are satisfied with the price (including any shipping costs and your understanding of the return policy and warranty) you might do well to act quickly. Great deals can come and go within hours or even minutes. If you miss a great one, take heart. There are still over three weeks of Internet Christmas shopping time available, and lots can happen in the realm of online commerce. Also, “Green Monday” doesn't spell the end of great Internet deals. The third Monday in December (the 17th) is known as “Brown Monday“ and many online retailers have the task of quickly unloading excess inventory. This can mean tremendous bargains if you don't mind the possibility that your present won't be in your hands on December 25th. Online retailers will squeeze every available shopping day out of the calendar, and will offer many delivery options to encourage your shopping dollars up until the last minute. Of, course, great deals will go on long after Christmas as retailers become more desperate to thin their warehouse of Christmas inventory.
Above all, stay safe. While the vast majority of offers are legitimate, there will be scammers looking to prey on shoppers simply looking for a great deal. Avoid offers sent from untrusted sources via email and social media. Always check to make sure you are on a secure connection in your browser when typing in your billing information. (There should be an https at the beginning of the URL). Double check to see if the retailer has a no-return policy or hefty restocking fees ““ and make your buying decision with that in mind.
I hesitate to tell you to avoid “too good to be true” offers simply because I've made purchases from reputable online merchants in the past week that have me absolutely dumbfounded at the bargains available this year. (It takes a lot to impress me). Some quick double-checking should allow you enough information to make a purchase you can feel both confident and delighted about.
The easiest way to cut your grocery bill in half is through using manufacturers coupons combined with the best sales at local West Michigan stores. Normally, this takes a lot of work to create a winning shopping list for your family. Each week, SavingsAngel.com combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with their enormous database of manufacturer coupons ““ which are found in Sunday's Grand Rapids Press and throughout the Internet. This combination results in access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Here are a few examples of deals that are available until Saturday at midnight. Please look in Tuesday's Grand Rapids Press each week for tips on how you can easily start cutting your grocery bill!
