Black Friday 2014: How to Get the Best Deals Online and In-Store

Black Friday is fast approaching and many eager shoppers are already on the lookout for the best deals available on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Falling on the final Friday of November, Black Friday can be a chaotic experience for anyone trying to navigate their way through the best offers from the major retailers.

Here at IBTimes UK, we have compiled a few tips to help you get the most out of Black Friday, no matter what you're looking for.

Be social media savvy

Social media platforms from major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Kohl's provide a great place to stay up to date with all the latest offerings.

Any last-minute bargains are often put up on Twitter and Facebook feeds, so sign in to social media and follow your favourite retailers and keep an eye on them in the build up to Black Friday and on the day itself.

Email alerts and newsletters can also be a good place to find decent deals, with some stores pushing free gift cards and other prizes exclusively to their most loyal customers.

Shop online while queuing

While most stores offer the same deals both online and in-store, some of the best deals are exclusive to one or the other.

To avoid the dilemma of whether to check in-store or on the retailer's website, one suggestion is to check deals online while actually in the queue.

"We think a balanced attack is better and the most rewarding method," the Best Black Friday site recommends.

"For example, while you are camped outside of Best Buy in your comfy tent hoping to get a ticket for that powerful new HP laptop door buster, you can be shopping other stores and deals on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

"You can also use your device as you are inside the actual store to read reviews and get questions answered quickly. This really allows you to get the best of both worlds while maximising your in-store experience with the help of the internet."

Watch out for scams

For some criminals, Black Friday is an opportunity to take advantage of the frenzy that arises from bargains and slashed prices.

Scams in recent years have included fake coupons posted online by hackers. Some fake sites require consumers to input their credit card details to access coupons, while others contain links to malware that can infect a user's computer.

Spam emails are another threat, with Apple products being a particular popular theme for enticing shoppers into phishing scams. Be wary of the email address that is sending the message and verify links before entering any personal information.

Finally, be aware that major retailers could fall victim to cyber-attacks themselves. In 2013, Target suffered a data breach that compromised personal information from up to 70 million shoppers. While it is often not possible to do this online, the only way to avoid this particular threat is to pay in cash in-store.