The biggest shopping day of the holiday season is still to come
The Christmas countdown has begun and chances are you still have a few gifts to pick up before D-Day. (If you don’t, please teach us your ways!) Many shoppers plan to finish their shopping in the days leading up to Christmas, but one day in particular will likely be busier than the rest.
Store analytics firm RetailNext predicts that Friday, Dec. 23 could be biggest shopping day of 2017, beating out Black Friday and Cyber Monday in sales. This forecast has less to do with getting a good deal than the fact that Christmas falls on a Sunday.
“Most shoppers will want to cut short their shopping early on Saturday, December 24, leaving the day before, Friday, as retail’s biggest opportunity for sales,” said Shelley E. Kohan, vice president of retail consulting at RetailNext.
The holiday shopping season is long, so why the mad dash at the finish line? In a survey released by the National Retail Federation on Dec. 16, nearly 45% of consumers said they’ve completed less than half of their holiday shopping because they are still deciding what to buy. In that same survey, 12% of respondents said they won’t buy their last gift until Dec. 23.
So if you plan on hitting the stores on Friday, be prepared for crowds. In addition, be on the lookout for these last-minute deals and extended store hours from some of your favorite retailers.
Walmart (WMT)
Procrastinators rejoice! Walmart has announced plans to help last-minute shoppers. On Dec. 23, the retail giant will allow customers to place orders on Walmart.com as late as 6 pm. Those items can then be picked up for free on Christmas Eve anytime before 6 pm.
Walmart also said it’s prepared for the rush of shoppers, stocking shelves with last-minute goodies. Some highlights include a Roku 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV for $428, an Xbox One S White 500GB “Battlefield 1” Console Bundle for $269 ($30 savings) and PlayStation 4 “Uncharted 4” Console Bundle for $269 ($30 savings).
Toys “R” Us
Toys “R” Us will be open from 6 am on Friday, Dec. 23, through 9 pm Christmas Eve – 36 straight hours! So if you wake up in the middle of the night, stressed that you forgot to get your nephew a gift, jump in the car and head to Toys “R” Us. And don’t miss out on the deals. All Star Wars toys are buy-one-get-one 40% off, and the Meccano Programmable Robotic Meccasuar (one of the hottest toys of the year), is on sale for just $49.99.
PetSmart
Still haven’t snagged a gift for Fido? At this point it’s probably best to wait until PetSmart’s “National Fetch Day.” On Dec. 23, the pet store will offer up to 20% off your entire online purchase. The catch (get it?) is that all items purchased online must be picked up in the store. Gifts can be picked up on Dec. 23 or 24.
Best Buy (BBY)
To help out procrastinators, Best Buy will extend its hours, staying open until 11 pm on Dec. 23. As for deals, shoppers can pick up a Samsung 40-inch LED SmartTV for just $249.99 (a savings of $80) or an HP 11.6-inch Touchscreen Chromebook for an astounding $199.99 (a $60 savings.)
Kohl’s (KSS)
Sales associates at Kohl’s are going to need a little extra caffeine in their coffee this week. The retailer is hosting a holiday shopping marathon, staying open for a straight 107 hours leading up to Christmas. Stores will be open starting at 7 am on Tuesday and won’t close its doors until 6 pm on Saturday, Dec. 24.
If you want to avoid crowds, head to Kohl’s in the middle of the night and enjoy 25% off of Nike gear and 20% off when you spend $100 or more.
Amazon (AMZN)
The retail giant will start its Year-End Deals event on Dec. 23 when shoppers can find big markdowns, clearance items and more. If you’re determined to get your gifts by Christmas, Dec. 23 is the last day for one-day shipping in select cities (free with Prime).
Brittany is a writer at Yahoo Finance.
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