Set your alarm to early – or stay up all night – because this year the trend of stores opening earlier and earlier continues. Some of the big players will open at midnight, including Target, Macy’s, Kohls, Best Buy, Walmart, and Old Navy. Toys “R” Us is really getting ahead of the game by opening at 9:00 pm Thanksgiving Day.
If you’re not up early enough to snag the deal you’d hoped for, don’t despair. This year, Black Friday falls on November 23, the earliest possible date, leaving extra time between Black Friday and Christmas. This is the most important stretch of the year for retailers, so take advantage of the extended holiday shopping and the deals inspired by the season.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), holiday spending will jump by 4%, meaning that sales this year will in the range of $586.1 billion. With the economy on the rebound, an increase in bargain hunters and excitement surrounding promotions and deals may account for the positive sales trend, so we expect to see shoppers taking full advantage of the opportunity to save their hard earned dollars.
In spite of positive sales data, this year you might find that some retail stores have a little less crowded than in previous years. This is largely due to an upswing in online rather than in-store purchasing, and holds especially true of electronics stores, simply because shoppers don’t feel the need to touch or try on an iPad for size. In all, electronics purchases are actually predicted to rise 1.5% overall, so if you’re prepared to battle over the newest device make sure you’re up early to get the best deal, regardless of whether its online or in-store.
We also expect to see more shoppers on their mobile devices. In 2011, sales from a mobile device experienced a jump to 9.8% and Shop.org predicts that online sales will climb 12% to $96 billion. With stats like that we’re sure this number of shoppers using mobile devices will continue to rise. More and more savvy shoppers are using their smartphones for product research, comparison shopping, or are using mobile apps that do it all for them.
With that said, even if you’re hitting the stores, keep a close eye on your computer. We’ve seen an upswing in retailers utilizing social networking for Black Friday ads releases. Last year, Walmart released their ad on their site and Facebook page, and this trend will likely continue. You can also register with BlackFriday.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll send you alerts so you won’t miss a thing, and you’ll have the added bonus of our Cashback loyalty program, so you get a percentage back on your purchases.
