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Black Friday bagging rights: shop the best sites and trends around the world

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Sephora’s on-trend, cruelty-free beauty bestsellers will be heavily discounted on Black Friday 2017 (24 November) as will trending fashion looks from Asos and Zara Online and virtual reality toys from Alibaba.com  that will give your little one bragging rights this Christmas.  And even though these sites may not ship to South Africa, by subscribing to an international shipping service like Aramex Global Shopper, South Africans looking to bag something special this Black Friday can shop global online sales in the US, UK, China, Australia, Europe and more!

Mark Mahoney, Aramex Global Shopper: Manager eCommerce Services says there are a host of amazing sites that offer phenomenal products however they either don’t ship to South Africa or they charge exorbitant prices for doing so. “We’ve done some research to help consumers find those extra special items or tap into upcoming trends that aren’t available locally.”

He said that, while local retailers offer great savings, retailers across the globe frequently cut prices to a mere fraction of their original price. “South Africans can look offshore for unprecedented savings and can then use a well-priced shipping company like ourselves to affordably bring their finds home.”

Here are Mahoney’s top international trends and sites to take advantage of the massive global discounts this Black Friday:

1. Cheque out cruelty-free at Sephora:

Top trend: The international trend of consumers basing their buying decisions upon their values has had a big impact on the beauty industry. Increasing global calls for animal cruelty-free products has seen beauty brands and online retailers offer products which stress their all-natural, cruelty-free nature.

Top sites: Beauty giants such as Sephora and BeautyCounter have dedicated pages listing cruelty-free bestsellers.

Top sellers: Sephora’s hugely popular ‘Drunk Elephant’ and ‘Too Faced’ ranges.

 

2. Nab next season’s wardrobe:

Top trend: Global trends in fashion have seen clothing and style become extensions of self, with consumers basing their purchase decision on the particular identity an item allows them to adopt. Bold, bright colours are in vogue as seen during New York Fashion Week, with the audaciousness of clothing synonymous with a confident identity.

Top sites: Top sites: Express yourself with creative colour blocking from sites like Asos and Zara Online. Or shop your favourite lingerie, sleepwear and beauty items from Victoria’s Secret.

Top tip: South Africans can purchase next season’s fashions for sales prices, making up for costly customs duties and ensuring a wardrobe of the latest looks before they arrive in store months later. 

3. Find smart toys for smart tots:

Top trend: Recently coined “Smart Toys”, these tech-savvy toys take learning to the next level with interactive innovations that see kids developing essential motor-neuron, language and social skills. Imagine a teddy that asks educational questions, playing cards that animate on-screen and drones that encourage fine motor development.

Top sites: Popular international online sites like Alibaba.com, Fisher-Price.com and Lego Online, have come to offer best-selling products that keep kids entertained while encouraging creativity.

Top sellers: From Lego’s Expert Creator” range, to Fisher-Price’s Laugh and Learn” selection – the toys aim to equally educate and entertain.

 

4. Access activewear and top tech for sports:

Top trend: For those more inclined to go for a run than command the Smart Home device to switch on the television, technological sporting equipment becomes a greater priority. Globally, there’s an increase in the demand for modernised sporting solutions in the form of activity-tracking tech pieces. Now recognised as “activity-trackers”, nifty devices like the Apple Watch and FitBit track sporting performance and endurance as well as sleeping and dietary patterns.

Top sites: Hop onto international online stores such as Powerhousefitness.co.uk and DinoDirect.com.

Top sellers: The popularity of these products has given rise to the emergence of international brands currently unavailable to the South African market, such as the China-based Xiaomi, as well as Samsung’s GearFit.

5. Bring Home the Smarts:

Top trend: As every aspect of day-to-day life is digitised, it comes as no surprise that our living spaces are modernising thanks to Smart Home products. Forget the touch of a button, technological innovation is now a spoken word away, with these systems obeying your every verbal command, from setting an alarm to turning on the stove. One day they’ll even turn on your hair straightener for you. Not yet, but soon!

Top sites: ThinkGeek.com and Amazon.com are hubs for all tech trends.

Top sellers: The “Smart Home” is now a reality due to the likes of Google Home and AmazonEcho.

 

Mahoney says, “South Africans can take full advantage of Black Friday sales overseas through our global shipping service. Subscribers simply need to enter their local Aramex Global Shopper delivery address at checkout for the relevant country when shopping online. Once the parcel is delivered to that address, we’ll do the rest and deliver it to your door in SA.  Subscribe before Black Friday to make sure you are ready to shop over the sales weekend!” For a full tutorial on how to subscribe, please visit aramexglobalshopper.com.

FESTIVE DEAL

For a limited period, Aramex Global Shopper is offering subscribers a $40 discount on sign-up fees which means that you only pay $5 for a lifetime membership!  Use the promo code AGS5W24 on registration to qualify for the discount.  Offer valid until 31 December 2017. 

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