Condensed holiday shopping season could yield ‘aggressive’ deals

This holiday shopping season is almost a week shorter than usual this year because of how late Thanksgiving falls on the calendar. But that might be a good thing when it comes to snagging a deal.

With just 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas, your shopping list may feel like a race against time. That means stores are competing for customers’ business on a much shorter time frame.

“Early conversations with the retailers, they’re being pretty aggressive,” said Jill Renslow, chief marketing officer for Mall of America. “You’re going to find everywhere from 30-50% off pretty much across all categories.”

The average American is expected to spend a record $641 on holiday gifts, up 3.5% from last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Retail experts like Seth Ketron, assistant professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas, are tracking the trends.

“Overall, I would say it’s a good year for deals,” Ketron said.

But should you jump on early discounts or wait for something better on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

“It’s always a bit of a roll of the dice,” Ketron said. “… I’m personally of the opinion that if you’re happy enough with the deal that you see, go ahead and get it, and that way you can mark it off your list.”

Although there are some things you can only experience on Black Friday, like actual doorbusters at Mall of America, presenting mystery prizes and scratch-off cards worth up to $599.

About two-thirds of Black Friday shoppers will hit the stores in person. Mall of America expects 250,000 people on that day alone.

The shopping mecca of the south metro hopes to draw in shoppers with unique entertainers and digital rewards on the Mall of America app.

“You get rewarded for everything you do at the mall. Every purchase, scan your receipt,” Renslow said. Those rewards points can go toward attractions and food.

Experts say shoppers will likely see creative promotions and deep discounts all the way until Christmas.

“You see some of the novelty kind of things coming out — reasons for people to go to stores that aren’t necessarily related to just buying something,” Ketron said.