3 tips for shopping on Black Friday, according to Google

Google released Tuesday, a series of tips and statistics to aid Black Friday shoppers as they scrounge for deals.

Personally, I’ll be sticking to online shopping, with plenty of Black Friday deals already available on Amazon and elsewhere. Take a look at how you can make the busy shopping day a lot more enjoyable. By Friday, you won’t have to scour the mall in search of a good sale. “We’ve got a lot of the hot toys in stock”. While you’d think consumers would get an early start on Black Friday, the peak traffic times for all stores happens between 2 and 4 p.m. on what’s widely considered the busiest shopping day of the year.

Meanwhile, department stores, dollar stores and superstores/discount stores have busier days than Black Friday.

Nothing’s more frustrating than driving all the way to the store only to find that the one item you had your heart set on is sold out.

RetailMeNot helps you find coupons. “Make sure to be prepared, know what stores are going to remain open, know what stores you’re planning to visit”, said Rodriguez, “so nearly do like a little diagram of exactly what stores you’re going to visit when and have patience”. Use the app while you’re out shopping, and it will use your phone’s Global Positioning System to search for nearby stores that offer in-store coupons.

An infographic created by Google shows how business ebbs and flows from Thanksgiving Day to when shoppers finally drop off. It also shows how the three busiest days of the year compare with other weekends during the holiday season.

It reveals that the peak period is between 2pm and 4pm for most retailers.

Use a barcode scanner to check if the deal you see in the store is cheaper online.

Shop SmartIt’s easy to get caught up the Black Friday frenzy and buy, buy, buy! Total US online holiday sales will rise 11% over 2014, to more than $95 billion, Forrester Research has predicted. When you scan something, you’ll see the full product specs, photos and related products. “That could be a small mint, it could be a chocolate, it could even be a gift card”. Shopkick also shows you popular items that are on sale and you can add those items to shopping lists.

If you’re eager to score an in-store Black Friday bargain, but not so eager to battle the hordes of fellow shoppers that come with it, there’s hope for you yet.