Black Friday 2020 is just a week away, but the holiday shopping season in the US seems to have started already. The one-day mega sale has turned into nearly a month of discounts and offers over the last several years. The coronavirus pandemic is expected to make more people shop online during this Black Friday. If you're looking to grab some great deals during this year's Black Friday sales from India, this is the right time to start preparing. We've prepared a simple guide to help you make the most out of Black Friday 2020 sales from India.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving Day in the US. The day marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season in the country. Big box retailers have now started offering previews and early access to some deals in the days leading up to Black Friday. While most deals run out very quickly, some are available over the weekend, and others make it to the Cyber Monday sale too.
This year, Black Friday falls on November 27.
Yes. Major online retailers like Amazon do ship internationally, even though they limit the products that are eligible for global shipping. Another option is to get someone to bring along products in case you have relatives, and it doesn't exceed the legal carrying limit.
You can also use a third-party shipping service that can courier the product directly to India. In this case you can shop on virtually any website in the US, and you'll be paying a little extra for shipping and customs duties as applicable.
If you're eyeing a bunch of great deals during this year's Black Friday sale, you should start making plans right away. Make sure you keep a list of things you'd like to buy. You should be aware of local pricing so that you can make a smart comparison during the sales. Create an account on the platform where you wish to make purchases, and look around for products that can be shipped to India.
On Black Friday 2020, arrive early on the online store of your choice and compare the deal prices with local pricing. Buy the product only if there's a considerable difference in prices. This is important because you'll have to factor in shipping and custom duties as well. If the overall price comes out to be lower than the local pricing, that's a good deal. But if it doesn't, don't go for it.
Black Friday sale events are perfect if you're looking for electronics that aren't easily available in India. These sales are also great if you're looking for digital products, such as web hosting, domain names, VPN services, and others. If you're looking to buy physical products, make sure you don't buy anything too heavy. The shipping costs alone would break your budget.
Some products that do make sense, provided you get great discounts, include memory cards, wireless routers, work-from-home accessories, smart home products, wearables, and others. Electronics that are generally very expensive in India can be purchased at relatively lower prices from the US during Black Friday sales.
As we mentioned earlier, you can easily get products shipped to India during Black Friday 2020 from major online US retailers such as Amazon. But in case you're out of luck, you can still rely on a third-party shipping service such as Shop and Shop or Viabox to get your products shipped to India. These services give you a virtual physical address where you can get your products shipped in the US. Once they arrive, they are forwarded to your local address in India. You can pay shipping and customs duties on delivery or online before the product is delivered to you.
While coronavirus lockdowns around the world are somewhat over now, there are still travel and cargo restrictions in place around the world. International shipping seems to be working for most countries, but do expect delays especially on the regulatory side. Once a product lands at a port of entry, it's properly inspected for its declared value and relevant documentation. Since the pandemic has led to offices working with less manpower, things are bound to get delayed.
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