What You Need to Know  

Due to supply chain issues and shipping delays, stores are rolling out Black Friday deals early this year  

Tools such as browser extensions listed below can help you find price checks and coupons while you’re online shopping  

Research in advance on specific products you’re looking for can help you find the best deals 

In a sea of deals, it can be difficult to determine what time to buy or which store has the best bargain. 

Spectrum News 1 spoke with Thomas Germain of Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization that focuses on consumer market research, product testing and consumer advocacy to learn more about shopping strategies.   

“It’s getting crazy this year,” Germain said. “We’ve seen the Black Friday sales actually starting in October, and all the retailers are doing it. There’s tons of products being advertised, and it can get a little bit overwhelming.”

Germain recommended using browser extensions such as CamelCamelCamel or Honey. Those tools pull up different prices or coupons as you’re browsing the internet, that way you can see if you’re actually getting a bargain. Consumer Reports also has a section on its website for a side-by-side comparison of prices from different retailers that have products available. 

“Some products are going to be harder to find and retailers are taking advantage of this, and they’re hoping you're going to see something and jump on it,” Germain said. “And while we do recommend that you start early, doing that research in advance is a good way to do it.”

He also recommended sites to check out all the different ads from retailers, such as blackfridaynews.com.

“As you’re shopping, you want to have the products in mind in advance and see what different retailers are offering, because sometimes the deals vary pretty dramatically.”

Black Friday itself is the day after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 26. Deals can be found both in stores and online, but how do you prefer to shop? Let us know by answering the poll below.