The most wonderful time of the year is arguably not Christmas, but rather the infamous weekend after the U.S. Thanksgiving, dubbed by the shopping community as “Black Friday”

Why is this the most wonderful time of the year? Simply put, because of the incredible sales savvy shoppers have grown accustomed to.

Historically-speaking, Black Friday was so named because it was the make-or-break shopping day of the year for the stores. If they had been ‘in the red’ for the year, this one single day of shopping could bring them over the top and into ‘black’ (from negative revenue—red—to positive revenue—black.) And over the past decade or so, this shopping craze has traversed across to Canada and some other parts of the world, thanks to it’s sister-holiday, “Cyber Monday” for all online shopping deals.

And so, as the market dictates, this became a sought-after shopping day for most. If you don’t mind the crowds, and scouring shelves for whatever great deals are left to be had, you can certainly walk away with some of the best savings, this side of Boxing Day. Luckily, with online shopping, Black Friday can be a breeze especially when we show you lots of hot deals & so many coupons!

However, there are many things we, at Rakuten.ca, do not recommend buying during Black Friday. You must be thinking, “No way, a deal is a deal.” And yes, we agree. However some deals are actually not great deals at all.

What you should buy

First, let’s review what you definitely should have on your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping list.

✔ Clothing. Always clothing. As long as it’s summer or fall, you should be able to find some real steals with clothes for everyone. Even designer items will go on sale this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled. Visit Shopbop, lululemon, and Original Penguin and more.

✔  Housewares. Anything you need around the house (plates, utensils, bathroom accessories, etc..) will be on for a great deal. Visit Hudson’s Bay and Bed, Bath and Beyond for some great deals.

✔  Electronics. Again, some incredible deals can be had on items like TVs, DVD players, sound systems, and computers. Stores like HP, Best Buy and The Source should be on your list.

What you shouldn’t buy

With this list, we encourage you to shop around and maybe even wait until Christmas, Boxing Day or February sales when the end of the season is near. You’ll likely find better deals and get more proverbial bang for your buck.

✗ Winter apparel. Come the end of November, winter is just starting and winter clothes are new in stores. These items might have a slight discount, but since they have a few more months left on the shelves, these won’t be the best deals for these items. Wait until later in the season for seasonal clearance.

✗ Furniture, tools, home improvement and exercise equipment. These big-ticket items don’t depend on Black Friday or Cyber Monday to go on sale. Stores usually have monthly or quarterly sales and we suggest waiting for those promotions rather than Black Friday.

✗ Holiday items. Much like winter clothing, holiday items (Christmas, Hannukah, New Years) won’t be on sale just yet. These are still in-demand and won’t be discounted until after the holidays. We recommend waiting until December 26 or January 2 to stock up on these for next year.

✗ Jewelry. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Along with gold, silver and other gems, these lovelies don’t typically get discounted often.

✗ Toys. Most of the time, better deals are offered closer to Christmas, so sometimes it’s worth waiting a few weeks.

Shopping Tips

Now that you’re in the know what seasonal sales, here are some of our in-house tips for shopping the big sales.

Be strategic.

Don’t buy just because it’s on sale. Make a list of what you want and need, what would make good gifts for hosts, teachers, colleagues, friends and family. Take note of the current prices and see how they fare compared to the Black Friday deals.

Shop around.

Compare your favourite retailers to see who’s offering the most Cash Back for purchases through Rakuten.ca, and who is offering Double Cash Back or extra savings for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Shop online.

Why fight the crowds at the mall or even drive across the border when you can shop from the comfort of your home and get even more savings through Rakuten.ca? Most of the same deals are available online (and sometimes even extra bonuses can be found too). Plus earning Cash Back from the comfort of your couch sounds like a win-win to us!