The countdown to the arrival of the Christmas and New Yeartwo dates that excite Colombians, as it is time to share with their loved ones, toast and give gifts to each other.
This is why some advance their Christmas shopping and do it in November, many waiting for the next discount event, Black Friday, in which different brands will come together to offer discounts to buyers. So, What is the best way to buy at this commercial event?
(You might be interested in: Black Friday United States: when do the discounts start and when do they end?).
What is Black Friday?
He Black Fridayalso called Black Friday, is an event that will take place from this Friday November 24th until next 26th November and will bring together different shopping platforms such as iShop, Dafiti, Lenovo, Pepe Ganga, H&M, Ktronix, Éxito, among others.
This day was born in the 60s in the United States, just one day after the Thanksgiving celebration, because merchants wanted to increase their sales due to the arrival of the holidays. This is how it has been implemented in different countries in the world.
In this way it has been put into practice since 2014 in Colombia, becoming one of the high sales seasons. In addition, users who are interested in sales will be able to choose whether to make their buy virtually or if it is better to go to physical stores. We tell you what the experts recommend.
(You can read: The secret Alkosto outlet for Christmas with discounts from 30%: where is it?).
The term “Black Friday” originated in the United States in the 1960s.
Advantages and disadvantages of buying in physical stores
According to experts, these are the advantages that people who decide to make their purchases in person have:
– Personal advice: When purchasing in person, in many cases users will be assisted by sellers, who can offer advice on different references they have available. This will depend on the store you intend to go to.
– Use of the senses: For some people it is important to touch, look, smell and listen when making purchases, because this way they believe they can appreciate the quality of the products.
– Product safety: When a user chooses what they want to buy in a physical store, they can verify its condition and that it works, so they will not be subject to future changes or unexpected arrivals of objects that may have been mistreated.
On the other hand, purchases in physical stores also have certain disadvantages:
– Store opening and closing hours: Stores, by having a physical store and managing employees who work in person, also have opening and closing hours to ensure their safety, so buyers should take that into account when approaching the stores.
– Time of arrival at the place: For certain people, traffic in a city is an issue that generates stress and setbacks, in addition to the noise from the street that could cause stress.
– Delays in purchases: In some stores you may find long lines that delay your purchasing process and end your day exhausted.
Black Friday is celebrated in different countries around the world.
Advantages and disadvantages of virtual shopping
Online shopping also represents great advantages for users, these are:
– Different payment methods: When purchasing virtually, many stores implement payments with different methods, such as the use of PSE, payments directly from virtual wallets such as Nequi or Daviplata, with credit or debit cards, among others.
– Comfort: You can make your purchases from the comfort of your home, without having to go out and tolerate the long lines that some stores have.
– Economy: Some stores offer greater discounts on purchases made through their platforms, because locals save on public services such as electricity.
Although there are also certain disadvantages that you can experience in the virtual purchasing process:
– Shipping costs: In some stores, the customer must pay for the shipping of the product they want to buy, so their purchase may cost a higher price.
– Wait time: On the other hand, when ordering products online, you should also expect that it will take a few days, or even weeks, to arrive at your home. It is important that you confirm in the store how long the waiting time will be for the product you ordered.
– Risky choice: When purchasing an object based on an image on a website, the design may vary a little, so sometimes the product you ordered could have certain differences from the one you saw in the virtual store. To verify, you can request videos and more photos on the channels that the warehouse has available.
Read comments and ratings on company profiles.
So, is it better to buy gifts online or in physical stores?
According to expert opinion, purchasing preference will depend on factors such as the type of product, immediacy or availability. So it is important that you check the pros and cons of online and in-person shopping, and thus choose the one that best suits your opinion.
Nataly Barrera
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