South Florida shoppers already eyeing holiday gifts are ahead of rush, experts say
South Florida shoppers who are already eyeing holiday gifts may be ahead of the curve, not just eager.
The Basis 2026 Winter Holiday Shopping Trends Study found that 68% of consumers plan to shop early this year to avoid delays and 57% say they shop for the holidays year-round.
Lauren Echague is one of them. She told CBS News Miami she started her holiday shopping after noticing seasonal decor already hitting store shelves.
"When I started seeing holiday decor in the stores, I realized I better get a jump on it while everything's still in the stores and good," Echague said.
She is not waiting for Black Friday. And according to retail experts, she does not have to.
"You have summer clearance going on. Labor Day sales are already starting to show up," said Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert with Retail Me Not.
Don't wait for Black Friday if you see a good holiday sale, experts say
Carls said one of the biggest advantages of shopping early is spreading out the cost of holiday purchases, especially with inflation still a factor for many households.
"If you see a strong price on something that you've already planned on buying, you definitely don't need Black Friday's permission to do so," Carls said.
Major retailers are also expected to roll out holiday promotions well before Thanksgiving weekend. Carls said Amazon has run October promotions in recent years and competitors like Target and Walmart have followed with deals around the same time.
"Those are all going to be happening before Black Friday and Cyber Monday," she said.
Find ways to layer savings together to help lower the price even further, expects say
When shopping, Carls recommends looking beyond the first sale price and finding ways to layer savings together.
"Always start looking for those different ways that you can stack your savings. So, looking for those promo codes or even just of course the sale and then cash back from sites like Retail Me Not, that's going to help you get the best price," Carls said.
Echague said the strategy works for her family. "I start early and everybody thinks I'm insane, but by planning, by looking at the deals that are being offered, we're able to get everything the kids want and save money," she said.
Carls also recommends using cashback apps to stretch savings even further as the holiday shopping season ramps up.