DICKSON CITY — Marjorie Marquitz can’t recall whether she’s ever done any serious Black Friday shopping. She just knows she’d rather buy Christmas gifts online.
Marquitz, 64, of West Scranton, was leaving Target late Thursday morning with her nephew, Bud Phillips. The two share their disdain for the holiday rush.
“In and out. Boom. That’s it,” said Phillips, 63, who also admitted that he doesn’t buy gifts. Period.
The pair may be outliers among millions of Americans expected to spend billions on gifts and other purchases this season, but big retail still has a plan to capture some of their cash.
Major retailers, especially those with prominent bricks-and-mortar presence like Walmart and Target, are spreading promotions across time and space, breaking down the traditional Black Friday blitz by offering deals long before, long after and across the digital market.
“We know that about the same number of people are planning on shopping this year as last year,” said Katherine Cullen, senior director for industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation.
New figures out from the NRF predict more than 165 million people will shop in the days surrounding Black Friday.
“Consumers plan to spend over $1,000, on average, for holiday gifts and other items. A lot of people don’t want to spend all that at once. They want to spread it out. They want to budget it,” she said. “It’s no longer about individual days, Black Friday versus Cyber Monday or online versus in-store.”
Part of the push might have to do with a shorter shopping season. Fewer days fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.
Last week Best Buy started giving out “Daily Doorbusters” that continue until Wednesday.
Target tested some promotions with Black Friday preview deals that same week.
Starting Thursday, Walmart opened up discounts, available online only, for more than 1,000 items including: the 10.5-inch Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi for $599, or $400 off; a Ninja Supra blender/food processor for $99, or $71 off; or a 60-inch RCA 4K ultra high definition television for $319, or $180 off.
Walmart is rolling out more online discounts this Friday for toys and electronics in a “Pre-Black Friday” online event.
People who already plan to shop online plan to spend more there than in physical stores, according to a survey by the web consulting company Leanplum.
The survey of 1,000 online U.S. shoppers found 95% of them will check off at least half of their lists online. Over 16% of that shopper segment born after 1981, millennials and members of Generation Z, will buy gifts exclusively online, the survey found.
“As shopping habits shift online and away from brick-and-mortar retail, brands must adjust to communicate with their customers via mobile,” Leanplum founder Momchil Kyurkchiev said in a statement.
Cullen at the NRF doesn’t quite buy all that and said Leanplum might be overstating its findings.
“From what we’re seeing, people don’t want just one option,” she said.
Shopping is still a social experience, she said. Black Friday bargain hunting remains a steadfast tradition for plenty of shoppers, but they’re also looking elsewhere.
She does, however, agree that retailers are developing complex strategies for people who more frequently shop using mobile devices.
“You’re dealing with consumers on a smaller screen, and you’re also engaging with consumers in micro-moments,” she said. “So maybe they’re waiting for the bus or standing in line at the bank … you have a smaller window of time to capture them.”
Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131; @jon_oc on Twitter