Black Friday Is Not The Day After Thanksgiving Anymore

It was not hard to notice in 2010 that Back to School started just after the 4th of July, Halloween pop-up stores were popping up in early September with Thanksgiving showing up in early October, and the all important Christmas season launching the 1st of a series of Black Friday’s the 1st Friday in November. With the fight for consumer and wallet share you can’t help but see how retail engagement has begun even before the customer steps into a store, and, in some cases, the deal is done on the way to the retailer by way of a smartphone. “Purchase online and pick up at store” has become a huge motto for many chains including Sears, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. The sophisticated buyer is making their purchase via their cell phone using smartphone technology.Since the holiday season, is the time for many companies to make their profits for the year, many brands have been creating new and innovative strategies to break the traditional shopping pattern of the consumer, that of waiting until the last minute for the best prices. Corporations like Target, Disney and McDonald’s have planned campaigns on Facebook and Twitter as well as smartphone applications that will help consumers find bargains.The biggest gift the retailer has given the consumer is the opportunity to buy early, with great deals and the use of layaway programs like the one Kmart brought back two years ago. Another gift to the consumer is wealth of information about up-coming promotions. The use of “Digital Technologies” puts the consumer is in the driver’s seat even more than ever when it comes to finding the best deals, no matter when the holiday shopping begins.