Covid has upended every aspect of normalcy this year and next in line to fall will be the traditions of holiday shopping for gifts.
Amazon’s Prime Day, which had originally been scheduled for July, is next Tuesday, and the other major retailers are joining in.
“Target is going to use Deal Days on the same day as Prime Day, and Walmart is having Big Save Deals on the same days as Prime Day.,” says Dr. Barbara Stewart, professor of Global Retailing and Consumer Science at the University of Houston.
The need for social distancing has caused many retail chains to move the shopping season ahead to cut down on the number of customers likely to be present in a store at one time.
By the time we get to Black Friday following Thanksgiving much of the shopping will already be done, it can be expected, and the option of online shopping will be more popular than ever, expected to break records. “The predictions from several sources are that we could be 33-35% more online this year, and it could go higher than that,” says Dr. Stewart. Talk of delays and difficulties with the USPS may prompt some shoppers to going on a buying spree earlier than they normally might have.
It’s anyone’s guess how Christmas shopping will pan out this year. With fewer families flying to visit distant relatives there could be extra money in the holiday gift budget from saved airfare. And with fewer parties and visits there are fewer gifts needed, which could lead to higher spending for the immediate family.
photo: Getty Images