If you wait until after Thanksgiving to tell holiday shopping stories, you may have waited too late for one-third of the people who plan to buy stuff this year.
Advertising Age said shoppers will be aggressive bargain hunters who will shop early, look for discounts and buy necessities.
Retailers are trying to convince shoppers to buy early, and women are already responding. The
Ad Age story and a related graphic
show that
a
growing number of men say they won't wait until December:
"According to Accenture, 63 percent of consumers will set a budget this year, compared to 54 percent last year -- and in those budgets, there's less room for friends and co-workers. To maintain the amount of money they typically spend on family members, 5 percent of consumers are cutting out gifts for friends, while 8 percent are eliminating co-workers from their holiday lists.
"Some 32 percent of consumers plan to complete the majority of their purchases Thanksgiving weekend, according to Google/OTX. Searches for 'Black Friday' began the week of Aug. 2, in fact, a month earlier than last year. Still, thanks to diminished inventory, this season will be 'a dance between retailers trying to convince shoppers to shop early because products really are at a premium and consumers expecting big sales and deals,' said Ellen Davis, VP at the National Retail Federation."
