Black Friday is November 23, 2012 this year. Will you shop online this year?

Last year online sales were up 24% over 2010. If you break it down by category, Department Store online sales were up 59%. Home Goods was up 48.8% and Apparel was up 47.2%. Those numbers are pretty impressive.

Mobile sales for 2011 were 9.8%, up from 3.2% in 2010. Social media chatter was up 110% over 2010. Though sales were not great though social networks, only .53% of all online sales came from a social network referral, it was the word of mouth that was going on in social networks. Sales peaked in the morning and continued on through the day.

2012 is Predicted to Have Even More Online Sales.

Not everyone is stuck on the Black Friday shopping tradition. Some that were are slowly being sold on the online option. There are pros and cons to shopping online so let's look at some of them.

Pros:

1. You don't have to fight the crowds.
2. You don't have to find parking.
3. Sometimes you can get better deals online.
4. Online companies will usually let you know what the specials are going to be well before the Thursday before Black Friday.
5. Products have not been handled by lots of people, some of which are bringing their colds into the store.
6. Did I say, you won't have to fight the crowds? Yeah, that's a big one for me!

Cons:

1. You can't hold the product and look at it.
2. You don't get in on the "door busters." (Some online companies will offer products for certain times or until they run out, which I think are like door busters you get in a store, just not as many.)

That's about all the cons I can think of...really!

If you think you want to do your Black Friday shopping online this year here are some tips to help you.

10 Tips for Shopping Online on Black Friday!

1. Research what is going to be offered before Black Friday. Some online stores are already preparing and letting their customers know what they are going to offer on Black Friday.
2. Electronics are going to be hot again this year and online companies will offer great prices. Start now and compare prices, get on mail lists so you can get the updates from these stores, and keep a list of what you want to get and the online stores you want to check out.
3. Toys are great to buy online. The same goes for toys as electronics.
4. Check their return policy. Sometimes when a product is offered at a really low price they will not allow returns. Just check their return policy before you order the item.
5. When buying clothing online make sure you follow the way they tell you to determine size. If you are hard to fit I wouldn't shop for clothing online unless there is a brand you know fits you. Usually you can return clothing with no problem, but check the policy.
6. Make your list of those you want to purchase for and if you know what you want to get them put that down too.
7. While in your research, if you find something you know is going to be hot, especially toys, you had better get it! You don't want a child to be disappointed just because you wanted to save three dollars.
8. Make sure you take breaks while you are shopping online. Sometimes we forget to eat and take breaks and that can result in fatigue and grumpiness. After all, we are trying to avoid all of that!
9. Have a budget when you start or you might overspend. This is something that can get away from you before you know it so pay attention to what you are spending.
10. Most of all, enjoy the experience. That is my favorite way to shop, online! Practically stress free!

If you are going to do your Black Friday shopping offline, make sure you take a lot of patience with you and have fun! For me and mine, we will shop online on Black Friday!

Happy Black Friday Shopping!