The wounds from Double 11 shopping sprees haven't healed yet, and the knives for Black Friday are already sharpened. North America's biggest discount season is about to begin. Adhering to the life motto that buying is earning, and with cross-border shopping becoming increasingly convenient today, we certainly can't miss Black Friday. If you still have plenty of questions about what to buy, where to buy, and how to buy, then this Black Friday guide, painstakingly compiled by Xiao O, will definitely lead you to another peak of shopping frenzy.
But first, Xiao O wants to take advantage of the Double 11 momentum to chat with you about some differences between Double 11 and Black Friday.
What are the similarities and differences between Double 11 and Black Friday?
Double 11 originated in 2009, and this year marks its 13th edition. Double 11 is a shopping carnival created by Taobao, which has captured consumers' mindsets: Double 11 is the day for year-low prices and狂欢. Therefore, every year on Double 11, people of all ages and genders participate in this festival, picking discounted and price-reduced items for themselves and their families to save money.
When Double 11 first became popular, the platforms had fewer tricks, novel gameplay, and strong subsidies. As a result, many people were highly motivated to participate, buying enough for a month or even a year on that single day. In recent years, due to repeated online exposure, platform tricks, and the emergence of price comparison apps, many people have become hesitant about Double 11. For example, this year in 2021, major platforms did not publicly livestream their Double 11 transaction data, possibly due to the impact of online舆论.
In contrast, Black Friday has a longer history than Double 11. In 1924, Macy's department store pioneered post-Thanksgiving sales during its annual parade. Although the results were not ideal, Black Friday remained popular through the 1930s, and by 1970, it was fully普及 across the United States. Later, it spread to countries that don't celebrate Thanksgiving, making Black Friday a significant "shopping festival." Driven by跨国 retail, the trend of Black Friday has not slowed but continues to grow.
But when it comes to cross-border shopping, we should definitely focus on Black Friday, after all, it's a shopping carnival participated in by the whole world!
Next, let's detail which websites you should use for cross-border shopping on Black Friday to get the best deals:
When it comes to Black Friday, the name Amazon automatically pops into mind. Amazon not only offers the lowest discounts across the entire network every year but also extends the entire Black Friday period from the initial Friday morning to early Friday morning, Thursday evening, and even earlier flash sales now. The entire US retail industry follows Amazon's around-the-clock schedule, replacing Thanksgiving evening with the shopping frenzy of Black Friday.
For Chinese users, this year's Amazon Black Friday offers more choices. With the addition of Germany, Amazon's overseas shopping now has sites in four countries across Asia, Europe, and America, all starting Black Friday simultaneously. It begins sequentially with Japan, Germany, the UK, and the US. Starting at 11 PM on November 23rd, you can join Amazon Japan's Black Friday promotions, followed by Germany and the UK at 7 AM and 8 AM the next day, and then the US Black Friday at 4 PM, totaling 40 hours of Amazon Black Friday.
Amazon's Black Friday cross-border shopping is the website with the widest coverage and the most convenience. You just need to sign up for a Prime membership in advance, keep an eye on discounts and flash sale items, and you can start your cross-border shopping journey on Amazon's overseas sites translated into Chinese.
Cross-border Shopping Friendliness: ★★★★★
Cross-border Shopping Method: Prime free shipping direct mail
Although it withdrew from China, Best Buy remains the largest electronics and digital website in the US, meeting all your needs from large items like computer speakers to small items like headphones, mice, and game discs in one stop. Back in the US, Black Friday is naturally Best Buy's main battlefield. Under fierce competition, the clearance sales start earlier and earlier.
The big promotion starts at 5 PM US time on Thursday, which is 4 AM Friday our time. For those of us who can't apply for co-branded credit cards, the biggest discounts come from different individual items. It's recommended to check out what you want in advance, fill in your credit card and forwarding address, and place your order immediately.
However, before purchasing, be sure to check if the product is "Refurbished" or "Open-Box." Although these have better price advantages and have been tested by Best Buy, they still carry a higher risk of damage. Cross-border shopping is already not easy, and returning for repairs might be even more troublesome.
But! Best Buy is not friendly to cross-border shoppers. Direct mail is impossible, and international credit cards may also have orders canceled. So, if you can buy gift cards in advance for payment and then ship to a forwarding company, it would be a good choice.
Cross-border Shopping Friendliness: ★★
Cross-border Shopping Method: Forwarding
Recommended Brands/Products: Beats, Logitech, Dyson
With the retail battle raging fiercely against Amazon, Black Friday is naturally the best time to grab deals at Walmart. Don't think that this brand, which sounds like a supermarket, has nothing worth buying. In fact, Walmart's electronics and small home appliances offer amazing surprise prices. Like Amazon, you have to be quick to grab discounted products at Walmart.
Items like PS4 controllers, console games, LEGO, Fitbit bands, and Netgear home security systems have all been offered at very low prices.
Like Best Buy, Walmart mainly focuses on the US market and is not very friendly to cross-border shoppers. So, what we need to do is still complete registration, fill in credit card information and forwarding address before the rush, and then cross our fingers, hoping to snag the items and not have the order canceled.
Recommended Brands/Products: Small home appliances, games
Although its business has been somewhat overshadowed by Amazon in recent years, Macy's still holds its ground, and its Black Friday discounts are certainly not to be underestimated. As a long-established department store, Macy's brands and prices are relatively平民化. If you want to buy an American brand handbag at a low price on Black Friday, such as MK, Coach, Kate Spade, to please the ladies, it's definitely worth it.
More importantly, as a department store, Macy's also has a substantial cosmetics line. Brands like Urban Decay and Too Faced, which are not easy to find domestically, and Estée Lauder, which is generous with samples, are all very suitable for cross-border shopping. Although the prices may not have a huge advantage over the brands' US official websites, compared to brand official websites that cancel orders upon seeing foreign credit cards, Macy's not only accepts overseas credit cards but also has its own direct mail channel.
However, Macy's direct mail channel mainly uses DHL, which proactively declares taxes. If you choose a forwarding company with a US local warehouse, using a large warehouse address also carries the risk of order cancellation.
Additionally, Macy's also operates Tmall stores and an official website in China. Although the categories and prices differ from local US prices, some discounts are still offered during Black Friday.
Cross-border Shopping Friendliness: ★★★
Cross-border Shopping Method: Forwarding, Direct Mail
Recommended Brands/Products: Cosmetics, American brand apparel, Macy's own brands
Compared to Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, as a high-end department store originating from New York, carries relatively more upscale brands. Although the prices of these European brands are not perfect in the US, buying a scarf or a few wallets during Black Friday is a very suitable choice.
Moncler down jackets, Versace scarves, Off-White trendy bags, and Stuart Weitzman boots are all items with significant price differences between China and the US. If you can snag them at Saks' Black Friday discounts as low as 40% off, you definitely won't lose out.
Of course, these small items are not the only reason we recommend Saks. More importantly, Saks is a US department store website that explicitly accepts Chinese credit card payments. So, if you want Tom Ford lipsticks, Molton Brown bath and fragrance products, Chanel eye sets, or Dior holiday sets – cosmetics that are both expensive and hard to buy domestically – you can order them directly from Saks and ship via forwarding.
Cross-border Shopping Friendliness: ★★★
Cross-border Shopping Method: Forwarding, Chinese Credit Card
Recommended Brands/Products: High-end cosmetics, Mid-to-high-end apparel brands
Another high-end fashion department store. If you've watched "Friends," this is where Rachel worked. In addition to low-priced items, Bloomingdale's Black Friday deals include $25 off on purchases over $200.
Although the discounts aren't staggering, compared to Saks, Bloomingdale's is more friendly to Chinese users, offering a free direct mail option (for orders over $200).
Cross-border Shopping Friendliness: ★★★★
Cross-border Shopping Method: Direct Mail, Chinese Credit Card
Recommended Brands/Products: High-end cosmetics, Mid-to-high-end apparel brands
Amazon's "Shao Bao" website is the first step for many fashion-forward girls to start cross-border shopping. Brands like Ferragamo, Alexander Wang, Acne Studios, J Brand, Marc Jacobs, and Rag & Bone offer discounted items on Shopbop. Following its parent company's friendliness towards Chinese users, Shopbop has supported Chinese credit cards and direct mail for many years and now even offers a Chinese-language site.
Every Black Friday, Shopbop offers annual promotions: 30% off on orders over $800, 25% off on orders over $500, and 20% off on orders over $200. If you can find friends to combine orders, as long as you reach the total amount, you don't need to worry about thresholds; you get a straightforward discount on the original price. This also makes it easier for those combining orders to calculate their final savings.
This year, Shopbop has also partnered with UnionPay to offer a 15% gift card rebate on orders over $500 paid with bank cards starting with 62, which can be stacked with Black Friday discounts.
Finally, note that although Shopbop's international orders have free shipping for orders over $100, the official website offers several direct shipping methods. Some use DHL and pre-collect customs duties (pre-collected duties are generally non-refundable), while others use Belgian postal service without collecting duties, waiting for customs inspection, and then forwarding via EMS domestically. Comparatively, the EMS option without pre-collected duties is the most economical. If you're buying items without time sensitivity, choosing EMS is more cost-effective.
Recommended Brands/Products: Affordable luxury, designer brand apparel and bags
Finally, let me recommend a skincare and cosmetics website specifically for men, from the UK: mankind.com. If you're tired of using your girlfriend's expired face cream, this website basically meets all your needs for skincare, toiletries, and grooming products.
Cleansing sets, shaving lotions, men's shampoos, and perfumes can all be found on Mankind. For the ladies, this website also hides some interesting finds. For example, the "Hermès of toothpaste" Marvis, Eve Lom cleansing balm, Aesop serums, and Valmont幸福面膜 – niche and high-end European brands – are also tucked away on this site.
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