AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Friday, the day of days for savvy discount shoppers, is nearly upon us. The massive shopping holiday historically offers savings so deep that you don't need to only focus on gifts; you can also feel guilt-free splurging on items for yourself. But buyers beware: Although Black Friday promises some of the best deals of the year, not all products have heavily slashed prices, so it pays to do your research.

Lucky for you, we've taken on the job ourselves. We spoke with RetailMeNot's Shopping & Trends Expert, Sara Skirboll, as well as travel, tech and fashion experts to get the lowdown on the best—and worst—things to buy this Black Friday. To see a full list of the dos and don'ts and available deals for your holiday shopping spree, visit the RetailMeNot blog, The Real Deal.

What to Buy Now:

Electronics: This category will sell out the quickest on November 24. "If you see a good deal on TVs, computers or phones, pick it up immediately," Skirboll advises. Electronics will be seriously discounted—some up to 40 percent, which means people will start their shopping efforts as early as possible to score deals. Consumers can expect sales across the board on everything from the Echo Dot to the iPhone 8.

• Best Buy: Save up to 50% with the hottest tech deals.

Appliances: The gifts that keep on giving, such as coffeemakers, electric skillets, slow cookers, toasters and blenders, will see sales on Black Friday. Retailers are ordering these items in large amounts, allowing them to drop prices nearly 40 to 50 percent lower than normal retail price.

• Macy's: Save up to 40% on kitchen electrics.

Time-Specific Travel: The lucky few with flexible schedules can rejoice in lowered prices for some exciting vacation destinations. "Hotels and car rental companies as well as travel packages will pump out time-specific sales," says Travelzoo Senior editor, Gabe Saglie. As long as shoppers are within the "need" period for a specific destination, they should be prepared to book while it is available.

• Hotels.com: Get up to 40% off your bookings + an extra 10% off.

What to Buy Later:

Furniture: While there might be several offers and deals floating around, shoppers should try to resist the hype. By fighting the desire to redesign your home for the holidays, you'll end up finding much better discounts in January.

Toys: Although shoppers might want to rush to get the latest and greatest toys for their young ones, these popular toys are not usually at their lowest price point during November. Retailers create a sense of urgency to purchase new toy arrivals early because the items might not be available later on, but resist the urge to splurge, as the best time to buy is in December. "The best deals on toys are found about two weeks before Christmas, at around 20 to 25 percent off," Skirboll says.

About RetailMeNot, Inc. 
RetailMeNot, Inc. (https://www.retailmenot.com/corp/) is a leading savings destination connecting consumers with retailers, restaurants and brands, both online and in-store. The company enables consumers across the globe to find hundreds of thousands of digital offers to save money while they shop or dine out. RetailMeNot, Inc. estimates that approximately $4.4 billion in retailer sales were attributable to consumer transactions from paid digital offers in its marketplace in 2016, more than $600 million of which were attributable to its in-store solution. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio of websites and mobile applications includes RetailMeNot.com in the United States; RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; VoucherCodes.co.uk in the United Kingdom; ma-reduc.com and Poulpeo.com in France; and GiftCardZen.com and Deals2Buy.com in North America. As wholly owned subsidiaries of Harland Clarke Holdings, RetailMeNot and Valassis, a leader in intelligent media delivery, are partnering to connect retailers and consumers through meaningful digital, mobile and print promotions both online and in store.

Media Contacts: 
Hillary White
RetailMeNot
hwhite@rmn.com  
(832) 278-5615

SOURCE RetailMeNot