Billions of dollars are at stake in this bewildering holiday shopping season

It didn’t matter much to retailers, who used early holiday sales to try to offload products before most shoppers picked out their Halloween costumes. But she noted that shoppers are motivated by deals, regardless of the purpose behind them. After two years of limited-time discounts, shoppers are showing they’re willing to make a bargain.

brands on board. “We make a lot,” the Specialized bike maker said on its website, telling customers they can “save a lot.”

Rakuten, an online platform that offers deals and rewards to shoppers, said the retailer’s participation in Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday promotions was “the largest in the past three years.”

Natalie Rodriguez, 47, who works for the Indiana State Department of Revenue, said the products for sale weren’t what she wanted to offer for Christmas.

“I’m really aware of those deals coming in now. I think it’s good to see who gets my money first. Do I take advantage of it because I know it was a deal?

“At the Amazon sale, I had 150 things in my cart and saved for later, but I didn’t see anything that could compare to what I thought was a Black Friday deal. When I was a kid, Black Friday was very low cost, like 80 or 90 percent off. Most I’ve seen have been 30 and 40 percent off on some items. It’s like, “Nah, I’ll just pass by,” especially if it’s not a staple. The Crest Whitestrips were a great deal, but I don’t need them now.

“All I got was a $50 gift card with a $10 bonus.”

Arrive on time, finally

For years, largely spurred on by Amazon, consumers have been accustomed to fast shipping—often in two days or less. The pandemic has reversed that. Shortages of drivers and inventory meant people had to plan ahead.

This year, industry experts do not expect another ship. There are more than enough delivery and warehouse workers to meet the demand. Shippers should be able to deliver 110 million packages per day, nearly 20 million more than shoppers can expect to order, According to ShipMatrixa consulting company.

“Because of the experiences of what happened with global supply chains in the past few years, people are extending the holiday season for a longer period,” said Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime.