INDIANAPOLIS – Retail experts are warning holiday shoppers to buy and ship their gifts earlier than ever this year.
They claim ongoing supply shortages and shipping delays could lead to empty shelves at stores. Not only will there be fewer products, but items could cost more. Once they’re sold, stores could have a difficult time replenishing in a timely manner.
With that, CBS4 wanted to know whether Hoosiers will be able to find any Black Friday deals this year.
“I think there will still be some deals out there, but they will not be as good as we have seen in years past,” Keith Niedermeier, a clinical professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business, said.
Analysts from the software company Klayvio might disagree. They found some retailers are sending out 12 times as many Black Friday ads compared to last year. They believe more people will head out this year, given the changes amid the ongoing, improving, coronavirus pandemic.
Niedermeier is now telling Hoosiers to buy items, even before the shopping tradition. He mentioned Target’s new price match guarantee.
“Anything you bought past October 10th until December 24th, they’ll price match if the price is lower at Target,” he said.
Target’s new policy means families could buy an item at any time and then request a price match if it goes on sale. Niedermeier suggested consumers check the fine print, as other stories may be offering something similar.
Retail experts said the good news this year is that there isn’t one “hot” item everyone is trying to find. Children are asking for all kinds of different toys, rather than one popular commodity like a Furby or Tickle Me Elmo. According to the “2021 Toys We Love List,” some popular items include the Disney Princess Ultimate Celebration Castle, the $99 OMG Movie Magic Studios Kit, Hot Wheels’ Ultimate Octo Carwash and the Big Dig Ride-on Excavator.
