Catch's Complete Guide to Cyber Weekend in 2024

Black Friday is coming up in a few months, and it’s time to start getting ready. It may sound ridiculous considering how far away it is, but the next thing you know, you blink, and it's here, and you’re caught unprepared. So let’s take a look at our amazing guide to Black Friday in 2024! We’re going to run through the process step-by-step, so you’ve got an idea of how you should engage in this amazing yet daunting day of specials.

Let’s get started!

Step One: General Preparation

Black Friday begins when you start engaging in general preparation. What does that actually mean, though? Well, when we talk about general preparation, we’re talking about setting a budget. So that’s the first step you should be considering while also reviewing your financial situation and how you can improve it leading up to Black Friday.

The second part of this step is to assess what you need and want out of Black Friday. Remember, this is just a generalisation of your shopping list.

Step Two: Research

Now that you’ve got a budget and generalised shopping list, it’s time to start making some more concrete decisions. Start by researching brands and products you want based on the list you created. Secondly, make sure you’ve got backup options. The reason backup options are necessary is in case the product you’ve originally chosen doesn’t end up experiencing a significant, or any discount come Black Friday. You’ll be able to review this ahead of Black Friday to ensure you know what you’re after.

Step Three: Creating Accounts & Wishlists

The internet can be a tricky place to navigate on Black Friday and all the way into Cyber Monday. As a result, you need to be prepared. Once you’ve researched what you want and where you want it from, start setting up online accounts to save you time on the day. Online stores experience an intense increase on the day, which can slow down and sometimes crash the website. Hence, you need to be ready to go with everything possible to make it a quick process. Or at least as fast as possible.

Step Four: Picking a Friend(s) or Family Members To Help

Black Friday is an intense day for any person to go through, so why go it alone? That’s right. It’s time to start building your team. You can either enlist the help of friends or family to make Black Friday success for all. Granted, a friend means fulfilling multiple household needs, whereas a family means fulfilling the family’s household needs. This decision must be taken seriously. Consider who’s your best bet and whether sticking with either family or friends makes sense. The main thing is don’t go it alone. You’ll never succeed on your own, at least not substantially.

Step Five: Creating a Black Friday Game Plan

What good is the research, the accounts, the wishlists, or the team backing you up when you don’t have any idea what the plan is for achieving a successful Black Friday? Understanding how you’re going to shop on Black Friday, which malls and stores to hit, and who’s going to operate the online side of things is an entire operation. Hence, the plane needs to be flawless. But don’t leave too much room for error. Think of it like a military operation, have fun with it but don’t lose sight of the objective!

Step Six: Preparing for a Long Day

Black Friday isn’t going to be for a few hours. If you’re shopping in person, it’s going to be a long, long day. You’ll be camping outside stores incredibly early, so make sure you’re well prepared to participate in the waiting game. Pack food and hot beverages, and get ready to run. It’s important to also practice safety and caution when engaging with other shoppers for Black Friday. It gets a little intense, and sometimes things get way out of hand. Be very careful that you don’t end up in unfortunate situations as a result of Black Friday shoppers.

Step Seven: Shopping

You’ve done the research. You’ve prepared as much as possible. You’ve enlisted a team. You’ve made plans to achieve Black Friday success. Now, all that work is about to pay off! As soon as you’re allowed into the stores, get into the stores. The same applies online, as most specials are timed to only appear at certain hours. The bottom line is to be prepared, safe, and with a laser focus on the necessary items. Don’t get caught up in the chaos and confusion of people arguing over big televisions and expensive tech. Instead, focus on the goal and get your stuff and get out as fast as possible.

Step Eight: Post-Black Friday

Now the funny thing about Black Friday is that it’s not over once the shopping is over. So congratulations, you definitely got through the most challenging aspect of Black Friday for sure. Still, there’s one more crucial step that needs to be taken: quality control and product testing

Unfortunately, sometimes, no matter how hard you try to pull off the flawless Black Friday haul, things go wrong, and you end up with products that are defective, broken, not working, etc. So you need to check everything immediately to make sure they’re in working order before they fall outside of the window of returnability based on the store's return policies. Never skip this crucial, final step.

Conclusion

There you have it, the official Catch Complete Guide to Black Friday in 2024 and beyond! This is an intense day filled with high stakes and a rewarding payoff. So follow the plan and make the most of these incredible specials.

Catch marketplace is gearing up for an incredible Black Friday 2024, and you’re invited! We suggest you ensure you’ve got your Catch account up and running and are beginning work on your wish lists so that you’re ready when the specials start rolling in. We’re coming in hot, and you best be prepared for what’s coming your way.