If you’re looking for a holiday bargain, help yourself to seconds of turkey or another slice of pumpkin pie and turn on your computer, according to one online shopping survey.
Online prices are predicted to hit bottom on Thursday, lower than on any other day of the holiday shopping season including Black Friday, says the Adobe Systems Inc.’s 2014 Digital Index Online Shopping Forecast.
Record online sales of $1.35 billion are expected on Thanksgiving Day, an increase of 27 percent over last year. Black Friday meanwhile could be the fastest growing online sales day at $2.48 billion, a rise of 15 percent. Among the gifts that shoppers might be looking for, according to social media: iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, PlayStation 4 and the “Call of Duty” video game.
Plus those online prices are expected to match in-store prices except for specific Black Friday promotions and inventory clearances, according to the forecast, which was published this month.
A survey by Nerd Wallet, the personal finance website, found that many of the same Black Friday deals are offered year to year. That might not matter for luggage or Christmas trees but could mean less than good buys for year-old electronics or appliances, the web sites notes.
“Consumers are cottoning on to these clever tactics and so over time they are less likely to be fooled,” said Priya Raghubir, the chair of the marketing department at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business in New York City. “And if they’re less likely to be fooled, the magic of Black Friday pretty much starts getting lost.”
The sales are meant to snap consumers out of any tendency to put off shopping until the last minute, Raghubir said.
“They give you a reason to get out in the cold and start spending money,” she said.
“Consumers love getting a deal or at least feeling they’ve got a deal, feeling smart, feeling that they are in control,” she said.
About 45 percent of consumers plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day, a survey by the New York based-consulting company Accenture found. Sixty-one percent of Americans or more than 140 million shoppers say they will be in the stores over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation.
Best Buy is among the retail chains that will open by 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Other include Toys R Us and J.C. Penney. Target, Sears, Kohl's and Macy's will all open at 6 p.m. and Kmart will keep its doors open for 42 hours straight. Radio Shack will open at 8 a.m., however, after workers complained about the early hour, the electronics retailer decided to close between noon and 5 p.m.
J.C. Penney spokesman Joey Thomas said that when chain opened on Thanksgiving for the first time last year, the response from customers was overwhelmingly positive. Giveaways and other activities are planned to show staff members that their work is appreciated, Thomas said.
“Additionally, local store leaders recognize the importance of work-life balance when staffing regular and seasonal associates, and give priority to those who volunteer for holiday shifts,” Thomas said. “Hourly associates will receive time and a half for hours worked on Thanksgiving Day.”
Macy’s noted that there were 15,000 people in line for its Herald Square store in Manhattan last year at 8 p.m., a record. The large majority of shifts were filled voluntarily, according to Holly Thomas, a spokeswoman for the stores.
In contrast, Nordstrom will remain closed on Thanksgiving.
“Over the years, our tradition has been to be closed on Thanksgiving so we are able to unveil our holiday trim the following morning,” said spokesman Dan Evans Jr.
Dismay over the early shopping led 32-year-old Brian Rich of Boise, Idaho, a marketing coordinator at a credit union, to start a Facebook page called “Boycott Black Thursday.”
“The best way to stop this is for everyone to stop shopping on Thanksgiving,” he said.
Twenty-five-year-old Danielle Mesisca quit her job at Kohl’s in New York City rather than work on Thanksgiving. The single mother, who has a day job working for New York City, said she would not object if Black Friday started at midnight or later.
“I feel like working a minimum wage job on a holiday is not worth it,” she said. “Thanksgiving is that one day your entire family gets together to spend time together. I shouldn't have to be forced to work and miss time with my family so other people can shop.”
Kohl’s did not immediately respond for comment.
With sales beginning earlier, and uncertainty about when the best deals are to be found, Black Friday does offer one guarantee: long lines of other shoppers, Raghubir said.
“But yes there will certainly be the buzz also,” she said. “You’ll be with all these other shoppers who are also very excited at having got a deal.”
That excitement is one reason 28-year-old Sy Paulson, a general manager at a Best Buy store in New York City said he did not mind working over the holiday. He typically has his meal the weekend before or a few days afterward and works both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
“This is my tenth Black Friday at Best Buy,” he said. “I get a lot of retail adrenaline. It’s a fun time. It kicks off the holiday season.”
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