Top Online Shopping Tips
As I really do the majority of my gift shopping online I thought i'd share some of the best places to buy and the best tips i've found throughout the years of buying online.
America
Usually, if something is out of stock on a UK website, they'll be available somewhere on an American one, if its something you really need to get and you're willing to pay the extra postage costs and tax (I think thats on anything over £30 at the moment) then make sure you get your order placed early, no later than the second week in November just to make sure it gets here in time and if there are any problems you can sort out a replacement before it's too late.
Black Friday Deals
Black Friday has only really gotten big here in the UK over the last three years or so, but it's been going on in America and online much longer than that - in fact the iMac I bought back in 2009 was bought with a Black Friday discount, mixed in with Student discount it gave me quite a few hundred pounds off the price!
The best places for Black Friday Deals online are Amazon, Apple, Tesco and John Lewis.
This year Black Friday falls on November 27th.
Amazon
As I mentioned above, Amazon have some of the best Black Friday deals online, and on top of that they have 'lightning deals', they seem to be doing those all year round now, but during Black Friday week the offers, range and amount of items that go live on the lightning deals are much better. Be quick though as some of those deals sell out in less than 60 seconds!
Amazon often have the best prices for things outside of Black Friday too, so if you're looking on another website at something it's always best to double check it in Amazon before placing your order. Jimmy Choo perfume is cheaper on Amazon than at Boots and Debenhams for example.
Rakuten
This used to be Play.com, and although the website isn't as popular now - or as cheap, they still have a huge range of items so if you can't find what you're looking for anywhere else, it could be available on Rakuten.
Zavvi
Zavvi have a wide range of items from gifts and novelties to CDs, DVDs and Games, they also have 'Mega Monday' each week where they put on a new offer. They always have good deals on and can often be cheaper than buying from GAME and HMV.
Not On The Highstreet
This website is ideal for stocking fillers and quirky gifts, they have pretty much everything on this website and as the name says - you won't find this anywhere else, because it's not on the highstreet. They even have a range of collapsable shopping bags which could be the ideal joke gift for that person you know who's been complaining about the 5p carrier bag charge!
Topcashback
I previous mentioned Topcashback when I wrote some Saving Tips for A Disney Holiday and this still stands during Christmas, and every other time you're buying something online. Although Amazon don't offer cashback and if you're like me, thats probably the place you'll do most of your Christmas shopping, they do offer cashback at Game, Zavvi, Littlewoods, 24Ace, Not On The Highstreet, Rakuten, Disney Store, Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, Go Outdoors, Snapfish and many many others.
You can sign up here, and from there all you have to do is open TopCashBack, search through the website for the website you want to buy from and click through to get the offer, from there just shop as normal and the cashback will be automatically added to your TopCashBack account.
Hawkins Bazaar
This shop is basically just a giant stocking filler shop, they do sell bigger gifts but most things are quirky novelty gifts. They do tend to open stores in big shopping centres near Christmas, but if they don't open one near you they do have a website so you can pick up everything you need from Boinks and finger frights to Tetris Lights and Mr Frosty machines.
Comments
Post a Comment