Holiday shopping is always crazy and hectic if you want to get the best deals and steals, and the experience can even turn into a hoard of people fighting each other for the perfect deal or parking space. But there are ways to get the scoop on this year’s holiday shopping frenzy so you can plan a profitable shopping trip without getting stuck in crowds of people.

If you’re planning on taking on the stores this Black Friday, there are some things you need to know first. “You must strategize, prioritize, and plan in order to have a successful shopping haul,” said FCHS student Toria Belew. Your first job is to research which stores start opening up super early on Black Friday (or even on Thanksgiving) to get the deals you want. Some shoppers love the thrill of camping out all night for Black Friday– but you don’t have to be that person. “I’m not like those crazy people who get up super early. I just go [shopping] later in the day,” said student Katelyn Weber. So even if you’re not a morning person you can still make to the sales.

Some stores are changing up what they’re doing for Black Friday this year. Walmart announced that it is getting rid of their usual one-hour deals and making them last all day, while clothing store H&M has decided to swim against the tide and stay closed all of Thanksgiving Day. The REI stores around America are taking a new outlook on the day too, giving all their workers Black Friday off with pay. REI is focused around being outdoors, so this year they’re encouraging customers to skip the shopping and instead, to hang out outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Kohls started their holiday sales early on Nov. 23 and is giving away $15 gift cards for every $50 you spend. Target is having a 10-day sales event that runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1, while Belk is giving away gifts card worth $5 all the way up to $1,000 to the first 250 shoppers per store. Meanwhile, Michael’s craft stores are having discounts as high as 70% off and offering $5-$20 gift cards only to the first 21 people in-stores on Thanksgiving.  

If you can’t bear to even consider not shopping on Black Friday, but don’t want to fight the crowds, then do all of your shopping online. Most big-name, popular stores have online websites where you can get the same deals as in stores. You can also check out Amazon, which is starting their Black Friday sales on Nov. 20 and having them last eight days. They have advertised that they will offer ten even bigger deals starting at midnight on Thanksgiving Day and another ten on Black Friday itself.

If you do decide to focus on shopping online, consider branching out to some lesser-known sites like Zulily (which offers short-time, flash deals) and Primark. A European retailer just starting to become known in America, Primark focuses on being in style and fashionable by having multiple mini fashion seasons. It’s geared towards young adults with apparel similar to the styles of H&M and Forever 21, and like those retailers, offers low prices.

According to an article written by Sarah Mitroff on CNET, online shopping is a much better option than going to the stores for the deals. One point made is that since the online stores are offering deals for more than one day you don’t have to worry about getting all of your shopping done in one day.  “At best, Black Friday is a stressful day of mobs of people and headaches; at worst, it could land you in the ER. Staying at home keeps you away from it all,” Mitroff suggested.

Cyber Monday (Nov. 30), will be filled with even more deals only days after Black Friday.Cyber Monday consists of online-only sales, so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of driving into stores which is why it appeals to a much larger number of consumers. “Customers have fewer negative associations with Cyber Monday,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst for Forrester Research.

So overall, if you’re a shopping guru and want to take on Black Friday in the stores, go for it. But if you’d rather stay at home, consider settling back in a cozy chair with your laptop and getting all of your deals online. Or, for a change, go outdoors for some fresh air on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and wait for Cyber Monday to score some great items.