Surviving Black Friday at Woodbury Commons

See this picture, do you recognize anything? Yes, this is the infamous Woodbury Commons in Central Valley, NY on Black Friday. While this may seem unappealing to some people, the deals that you can find at Woodbury Commons are well worth clawing through these crowds. Done correctly you will have not that painful of an experience and not that empty of a wallet. Take it from us, we've been there before- here are some tips for surviving Black Friday at Woodbury Commons.

1. Mind, Body, Soul

Prepare yourself mentally, physically and emotionally for the craziest day of shopping in your life. Get a good nights sleep for the weeks leading up to BF. Listen to some calm music on your drive to the outlets it will help if you get stuck sitting in traffic. Pack snacks for the trip as well. Bust out the hand weights at the gym for those arm muscles, you're gonna have a lot of bags to carry. That MK leather purse weighs more than you think.

2. Do Your Homework

Don't think you're gonna make it through the crowds without doing your due diligence. This is the most important step out of all the tips we are giving you.  When we say homework, we mean know what sales are going on at what times.  You need to prioritize for items you really want, and items that your ok with missing out on.  Stores used to not release information pertaining to sales days in advance, but with growing competition they've been forced to do so.  (Yay for us!).  It's as easy going to the Woodbury Commons Sales & Events tab, but there are also various apps you can use to help you.  Splurge is a new and great tool that compiles all time sensitive sale information across stores into a convenient little app.

3. Map Out a Game Plan

-Traffic Patterns: look at a map before you leave the house.  There are various ways to get to the outlets, the most common being from the Thruway.  You don't want to get stuck with people trekking up from NYC by the bus load (yes, this happens).  There are apps that can help you navigate through traffic on the big night; our favorite is Waze.

-Map out your Shopping Plan: for this one, you literally need to get a map.  You can print one off their website, and while your digesting your turkey dinner the night before take the time to draw out a plan.  This is another crucial step in the survival process.  Think of BF as your very own Skyfall.  Your very own covert mission; sales are top secret and use alley ways to dodge crowds.  You can look just as good as Daniel Craig in a suit, we have faith in you! (You don't actually have to wear a suit).

4. Gear Up

Going off our last tip, we don't suggest that you wear any uncomfortable clothing.  While its a BF staple to look cute, it's important to dress for the long haul.  Comfort and warmth is key.  Sneakers get the job done, but a cute pair of thick leggings and warm boots will also do the trick.  Keep in mind that you are going out in the middle of the night, so temperatures might not be as warm as your used to.  Frostbite shows no mercy!

5. Gather the Troops (Pick the Right People!!)

Lets face it, you love your Grandma but this is not the time or place for family bonding time.  It's survival of the fittest out there, you need to fight this battle alongside the right troops.  Pick friends that you know are as die-hard as you when it comes to shopping and getting the sale.  You need people that are DTBF...Down to Black Friday! 

6. Get Connected

This final piece of advice builds off Tip #2.  In today's day and age, we've been blessed with up to the mili-second updates as to what our friends and favorite brands are doing.  Use this to your advantage.  On Twitter you can follow the stores you want to target as well as the Woodbury Commons handle.  Look out for various QR codes around the commons, these can link you up to more sales information as well.  The main point of this tip- HAVE YOUR PHONE BE FULLY CHARGED.  This is crucial if you want to stay ahead of the curve.

By following these 6 simple tips Black Friday will be a cinch.  Not only will you be satisfied with your shiny, new, Tory Burch flats, but your wallet will be feeling good as well.  We hope to see you there! 

Happy Shopping!

-Desiree, Simona, & Katy