Could Starting Your Holiday Shopping Earlier Save You Money?
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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The holidays are here, which means shopping for them started days, maybe weeks, even months ago? If you are not getting your list together and hitting up your favorite stores soon, you might be missing on money-saving discounts all over the place. In fact, it’s possible that the earlier you start shopping for the holidays, the more money you can potentially save. Skeptical about that?
GOBankingRates spoke to some retail and shopping experts and here’s what they had to say about how starting your holiday shopping earlier could actually save you money in the long term.
Have More Time To Find Deals
Brett Narlinger, head of global commerce at Blackhawk Network (BHN), a business solutions and insights company, said if you start shopping earlier, you are extending the amount of time you can find the best deals and avoid a last-minute holiday blitz.
“There are only three shopping weekends between Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend and Christmas — and many retailers are already running promotions knowing shoppers are elongating their shopping seasons,” Narlinger added.
“Be sure to check for deals in different places (in-store, online and in retailers’ apps), try to stack deals when you can, and take advantage of promotions that reward you with loyalty points, gift cards, rebates, etcetera. so you can save more money on future purchases,” Narlinger said.
Can Avoid Delivery Fees
A 2024 PissedConsumer survey of over 1,032 consumers found that 67.7% plan to shop this holiday season, with a total of 49.6% of responders starting their holiday shopping early this year and planning to finish before the main events.
Matt Watson, CEO and founder of Origin Financial said shopping early helps online shoppers avoid last minute delivery fees.
“Most people do their holiday shopping from the comfort of their homes, which means they often have to pay for items to be delivered in time for the holidays,” Watson explained. “By shopping early, consumers can avoid last-minute delivery fees associated with online purchases which can be quite costly — especially as you inch closer to the actual holiday.”
Can Avoid Impulse Purchases
“With 74.2% of consumers affected by inflation, early shopping might be the key strategy to save money this holiday season,” said Joanna Clark-Simpson, head of consumer research and consumer expert with PissedConsumer.com. “By carefully planning the budget, prioritizing comparison shopping across different retailers and sticking to the shopping list, consumers can avoid impulse buying while focusing on essential purchases.”
Narglinger pointed to BHN research that found that 27% of shoppers had already planned to shop before November with the top motivator being the announcement of sales and promotions. The data also highlighted that Americans’ top holiday shopping season concerns are inflation and food prices — and as a result nearly half of Americans (45%) plan to adjust their shopping behavior to ensure they’re getting the best deals and value.
Can Take Advantage of Built-Up Rewards
The BHN research also found that many shoppers will be cushioning their budget digitally by using stored value they’ve built up over time via loyalty programs (like points and rewards), according to Narlinger.
“This method of boosting spending power will be particularly helpful for younger generations, as 43% of Gen Z and millennials plan to buy gifts with credit card or store points and a quarter plan to use loyalty points (airline, hotel),” Narlinger added.
“Reading product and service reviews shared by other shoppers can also help consumers spot the ‘too good to be true’ deals, ensuring the balance of price and quality,” Clark-Simpson explained. “Reallocating spending in the weeks before the main holiday events, shoppers can make substantial savings while ensuring that peak sales don’t drain their budgets.”
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