Shop smart, have pleasant Black Friday

BLACK Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, is here and millions of people across the country will be rushing out to snap up their favourite items at discounted prices.

The popularity of Black Friday has increased significantly over the past few years, with many retailers and shopping malls going all out to attract customers.

This year’s event comes in the wake of a negative economic outlook, where consumers have less to throw around compared with previous years. This is mainly due to the poor economic growth, ever-increasing food prices and rising unemployment.

While we are not against the Black Friday spending spree, we urge consumers to be cautious at how they use their hard-earned money.

Make sure that the items you go for are really on sale and that you are getting the best deal possible.

Consumers need to be cautioned against using credit for shopping as the interest accumulated through repayments makes the whole exercise of hunting for discounts worthless.

Instead of going to crowded shops, consumers would do well to shop online as it is safer and more convenient. However, if you have to go to the shops, please be considerate of other shoppers.

Black Friday also marks the start of festive season shopping, and safety is of paramount importance as criminals and fraudsters are also expected to be out in full force.

We urge consumers not to carry huge sums of cash, and to instead use debit cards. Be cautious when going to withdraw money from the ATM. Let’s make this Black Friday shopping experience a pleasant one for all of us.