ANDERSON – Though Black Friday is still five days away, more than half of Americans have already begun their holiday shopping.
And as retailers continue to offer deep discounts well ahead of the biggest weekend in shopping, and many offering online shopping discounts, so called “Black Friday creep,” makes it easier for shoppers to find deals early.
Amazon began offering its Black Friday deals on Thursday, but it's been offering "countdown to Black Friday" deals since Nov. 1. Department store mainstays Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy offered Black Friday deals in July, while Walmart introduced its Black Friday deals online Nov. 9.
Elizabeth Murray, Anderson, who was shopping at Mounds Mall on Sunday, said she’s been watching deals throughout the month of November as stores are offering deals earlier and earlier.
“I am almost done with my Christmas shopping already,” Murray said.
Early deals and online options means she’s already snagged several good deals.
“If anything, I plan to do cyber Monday,” she said.
But just because many deals can be had well ahead of Friday, it doesn’t mean there won’t be legions of eager consumers lining up outside their favorite stores Thursday and Friday looking for door buster deals.
An estimated 164 million people — 69 percent of Americans — are planning to shop or considering shopping during Thanksgiving weekend, according to the annual survey released Sunday by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Of those planning to shop over the long holiday weekend, the survey found 20 percent plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day, but Black Friday still remains the busiest day with 70 percent planning to shop then.
Nearly half, 43 percent, are expected to shop on Saturday, with 76 percent saying they will specifically support Small Business Saturday. On Sunday, 21 percent expect to shop and rounding out the weekend, 48 percent are expected to shop on Cyber Monday.
“While the utility of the weekend will continue to draw shoppers into stores and online… we’re also seeing consumers report tradition and the opportunity to partake in holiday cheer as reasons for shopping, too,” Prosper principal analyst Pam Goodfellow said. “By now, people know what sort of deals they can expect to see during the weekend and are budgeting for them accordingly and in many cases expertly.”
When asked in the survey what they enjoy most about shopping during the holidays, 35 percent said it is a family tradition while 23 percent said they most enjoy holiday decorations and displays; 18 percent cited finding the perfect gift for someone.
Kohl’s, JC Penny and Belk are the top places to find the deepest discounts this year, according to WalletHub, with Kohl’s offering an average 66.3 percent discount on Black Friday.
The most discounted products include apparel and accessories, with 28 percent of deals falling under that category. Computers and phones are a far second with 10.6 percent and appliances following close behind with 9.9 percent.
For the first time in the study’s history, online shopping outranks in-store shopping with consumers for the holidays, according to another NRF survey, with 59 percent of shoppers saying they plan to look online this weekend.
And much of that can be attributed to young adults who already shop digitally but are seeing their disposable income increase.
“As Gen Z and millennials get older, their purchasing power increases, and the rise in disposable income is sure to be seen by retailers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.
As many retailers look to capitalize on the extended shopping season, others are fighting back against the creep.
Target, Sears and Kmart have responded by adjusting store hours to stay open only when most shoppers are in-store. Most Kmart stores will open at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and close at 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
Sears will open some stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and keep them open until midnight — but all Sears stores will open at 5 a.m. on Black Friday.
Target stores will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight on Thanksgiving, and will reopen at 6 a.m. Friday.
"Target’s new hours accommodate guests who make Black Friday shopping part of their Thanksgiving tradition, and reflect when the retailer has seen the most shopping in its stores for the past several years," the company said in a press release
While a vast majority of consumers plan to take advantage of deals over Thanksgiving weekend, 31 percent will refrain from shopping that weekend.
Of those not planning to participate, 52 percent said they won’t shop because they do not enjoy the experience and 51 percent said they never shop during Thanksgiving weekend. Of those not shopping, 46 percent said nothing would change their mind but 27 percent said a good sale or discount on an item they want could get them to shop.
For Oren Fleetwood, Daleville, who had nearly finished his holiday shopping at Mounds Mall on Sunday, said online options and early deals mean he doesn’t plan to shop in store at all throughout the holiday weekend.
In fact, for him, stores are a no-go during the mad dash shopping bonanza.
“The crowds are just a no,” Fleetwood said. “I don’t feel like I need to risk being trampled."