Retail expert reveals Black Friday shopping predictions
Black Friday Shopping
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - With the start of November just around the corner, for some consumers the countdown to Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S. is on.
“The retailers that do really well these days are those who have that nice combination between bricks and mortar and internet and do both really well,” said Deb Carlson, a retail expert for Cushman and Wakefield’s Twin Cities office.
Carlson says she anticipates seeing more retailers rolling out big bargains before and well after Black Friday.
“I think as that Saturday before Christmas has become such a big deal, I think some of those retailers you may see are going to hold some of those big discounts until a little closer to Christmas than they did before,” she said.
Last year, major retailers, including Target, Best Buy and Walmart opened their doors to shoppers on Thanksgiving Day. Carlson predicts that trend will fade.
“I think that it was a hook the first few years that they did it, but I think that it’s petering off,” said Carlson. “Most customers will say, ‘Look, I want to take this day off, but I’ll hit it on Friday.’”
With Thanksgiving falling on November 28 this year, there are six fewer days to buy gifts before Christmas. With the economy going strong, Carlson expects holiday purchases to rise.
“We talk about that all the time in retail is that the big hook these days for shoppers is the experience of it,” said Carlson. “And I think that’s why all of the value players are doing so well these days.”
Walmart started advertising holidays late last week. Quite a few big box retailers are also offering free next-day delivery. Laptops, electronic gadgets and small appliances are always hot ticket items.