Holiday shoppers start earlier as waiting for Black Friday deals loses appeal

Shoppers are starting their holiday shopping earlier every year — and it's partially due to a perception that the deals aren't all that great anymore on Black Friday.

According to RetailMeNot’s annual holiday Shoppers Trend Report, only 10% of consumers believe that it is worth waiting until Black Friday for deals.

“Consumers in record numbers are questioning the value of offers on Black Friday,” RetailMeNot’s senior lifestyle editor Trae Bodge said. “And while this perception appears to be driven by media speculation, it serves as a catalyst for many shoppers to begin preparing and shopping for the holiday season as soon as Labor Day. While early-bird behavior is beneficial for the strategic buyer, RetailMeNot's offer data still suggests that deals during the five days of savings from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday are stronger on a percent-off basis than in prior weeks.”

Though many shoppers still do hit the aisles in the days following Thanksgiving, some 85% of consumers expect deals before Black Friday, with over half expecting them before October, and 51% are taking advantage of deals throughout the year. All of this points to shoppers getting into holiday shopping mode earlier than in years past.

“Having a strategy is key,” Bodge said “Savvy shoppers are preparing their gift lists, considering budgets and downloading shopping apps that make deal-hunting easier. Additionally, savvy consumers know that discounts are to be had in certain early holiday retail categories like toys, home decor and apparel.”

According to RetailMeNot, this year in-store shopping is still in Vogue, as 88% of the consumers surveyed said they wanted a reason to enter a mall or store for holiday shopping. Forty-four percent of those surveyed would be more inclined to shop in-store if they got money back on their purchase, 37% would be enticed by holiday sales, 31% are motivated by flash sales and 27% of shoppers would turn up for door-buster offers. Additionally, having to avoid wrapping gifts is appealing for the 24% who said in-store gift-wrapping is an appealing offer.