How retailers are preparing for an early holiday shopping season – and last-minute shoppers

Meeting customers when and where they want to shop is just the beginning. Every year for at least a decade, U.S. consumers have been starting their holiday buying earlier than they did the year before, both to stretch out their budgets and to avoid — or at least try to lessen — the stress of holiday shopping. In 2011, according to figures compiled by NRF and Prosper Insights and Analytics, 51% of surveyed consumers said they had started their shopping by early November. The share of early shoppers has increased steadily since; in 2021 it was up to 61%.