Don’t fancy sitting in queues? Want the best possible deals? These are the Android apps you need for Black Friday.

Black Friday is about to happen and you want the deals. This isn’t a year for messing around with full price items and standing in queues, being elbowed in the face and arguing about that last sock discounted to 50c. This is a year for getting Black Friday onto your device and carrying it around in your pocket.

In this feature, we have discovered the best apps for you to download onto your Android phone so you can simply lie back with a cup of coffee and a nice jam doughnut (or kale smoothie if you’re into healthy Black Friday shopping) and get the deals.

The Black Friday apps

These apps have been selected not only because they grant you easy access to the leading retailers, but because these retailers have promised all sorts of tasty discounts in the Black Friday mayhem. The first of these is Bidorbuy – the company has promised deals for the week leading up to the final Black Friday sales with discounts of up to 70%. You will find all sorts of tasty technology such as laptops and smartphones and home appliances in their sale and the first offer will launch at midnight on 25 November 2019. You can download the Bidorbuy app right here.

Takealot, the site that’s almost famous for going down on Black Friday, is still running exclusive Black Friday deals on its app. You’ll need to download it from here and you will need to set up your profile before the big day. Don’t leave registration or payment detail information to the last minute with any of these apps as you can lose out on Black Friday deals while you fiddle with the fine print. The first offers from Takealot will be available from one second past midnight on 29 November and they will carry on until Takealot Tuesday on 03 December.

Zando is set to take on Black Friday with its Blackout Sale that starts on 25 November and ends on 28 November. The #ZandoBlackout Sale will see up to 70% knocked off fashion brands such as New Balance and Adidas with additional items arriving at midnight on Black Friday itself. Download the app here and get ready.

Dis-Chem has promised some tasty online discounts so you can nab their app to not only get shopping on deals but actually prepare a shopping list before you start. Another gem is Superbalist which has offers online and on the app for Black Friday shoppers – they tend to be less focused on the app as on the online store so it’s a good idea to jump between the two to find your deals.

Finally, the following stores have confirmed Black Friday deals and all have their very own apps to make your life easier:

  • Mr Price – the sale will run from 25-29 November
  • Loot – the company took part last year and they’ve already released teasers for 2019 that hint at something big
  • Clicks – they had some fantastic deals in 2018 and are confirmed for 2019
  • SweepSouth – the home cleaning company is planning on revealing some cool discount codes on Black Friday
  • DionWired – like Takealot, DionWired puts exclusive Black Friday deals onto its app.
  • Game – the company had some amazing deals in 2018 and is planning on beating them in 2019. The app offers you exclusive online deals but you do have to go instore for some of the big ones.
  • PriceCheck – use the app to compare the deals and get the absolute best bargains you can find. Want it cheaper? Think the discount isn’t good enough? This is where you verify your value.
  • Planet54 – online shopping at its finest with plenty of fabulous Black Friday specials incoming.

 

The other Black Friday deals

Quite a few South African stores have built an impressive online presence but not an app, others have only put the specials on their websites and many have only got their deals instore. If you want to really dig in and pull out the special offers, then here is the ultimate list of online stores that will net you a brilliant deal this Black Friday.

  1. Makro – the online offers are exclusive, brilliant and massively discounted. However, Makro has a history of overselling so many online shoppers find out that they have a 4-6 week wait before their goods arrive. Don’t bank on Makro to deliver on time for Christmas but do bank on them for massive discounts.
  2. Builder’s Warehouse – online and instore with more of the latter than the former. Arm your trolley and your nerve if you plan on entering here.
  3. Checkers – they have an app and they have an online presence but you’re likely to find the big deals instore. Wear shin guards.
  4. Flight Centre – this is where you need to go if you have big travel plans for 2020.
  5. Foschini – you can sign up to get the latest deals directly into your inbox for 2019 Black Friday.
  6. Incredible Connection – they have even put up a dedicated 2019 Black Friday page for you to read through and check before you get shopping.
  7. Raru – they have phenomenal deals for Black Friday and they run specials at set intervals so you can dip in and out to find the offer you love. Highly recommended not only for its layout but Raru delivers your purchases quickly. This is a great choice for musicians, gamers, board gamers and people who love stationery.
  8. OneDayOnly – their Black Friday sale will likely run over several days and include some tasty specials on the day itself. Remember, their deliveries are slow so don’t bank on their arrival in time for Christmas.

If you really want to dig down into Black Friday, you can also use your Android phone to set up Black Friday alerts.  Go to Google Alerts>>enter topic>>Settings then set up the type of alert, the keyword, the timing, and then tap on Create Alert. Done.

Remember – Black Friday deals are designed to get you to spend money and there’s nothing worse than spending more than you planned on things you don’t want. The best way to prepare for Black Friday is to write a list of items you need, a budget of what you’re prepared to spend, and have some idea of how much those items cost outside of the sale. Don’t be lured by false advertising and tiny discounts, pay attention to costly delivery fees and deadlines, and have a separate budget for that impulse buy. Once it’s spent, it’s spent.