WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Friday is retail’s biggest day of the year—to kick off the holiday shopping season.
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The backstory:
Although shopping isn’t as chaotic nowadays as it was in years past, with large crowds and camping outside stores, big retail stores like Target are offering deals to get more customers through the door.
“We’re going to be delivering joy and unbeatable deals for our guests,” Rachel Frieden, store director for Super Target Wesley Chapel, said.
What they’re saying:
The first 100 customers at the Wesley Chapel superstore received an exclusive swag bag, and then 10 guests per store received an additional prize in the bag, ranging from $99 to $350 worth of prizes. The deals started before Black Friday.
“Most of our deals started this past Sunday on the 23rd, and they go through the 29th, and then additional deals will drop starting the 27th and 29th as well,” Frieden said.
Dipayan Biswas, a professor of marketing at the University of South Florida, says stock market fluctuations and inflationary pressure are affecting spending capacity this year.
Imported items have also become more expensive. Mostly middle and lower-income groups are expected to cut back a little bit.
“Overall, the trends are that customers are going to be more cautious,” Biswas said. “They might look for more cost-saving options. There might be a higher preference for value for money rather than just brand reputation.”
Over the last several years, more people have moved to online shopping for convenience.
AI assistance tools are also helping to make online shopping easier, as they know people’s purchasing habits and history well.
“ChatGPT and these other shopping assistants are getting pretty good at saying, ‘Oh, if it’s your nephew and your purchase history, he would like this stuff.’ So, it’s more personalized rather than me guessing what a 14-year-old might like. The AI assistants are presumed to know more about what would be an ideal gift for someone specific,” Biswas said.
Still, Biswas says there will be a bit of physical in-store shopping.
Target is offering up to 50% off toys and tech items, and 40% off certain clothing.
“You can come in and feel like a holiday celebration that morning,” Frieden said. “The store is decorated to feel like Alpine Village. The team is pumped and ready to offer a great experience to all of our guests.”
What’s next:
Deals will continue now through Cyber Monday.
The Source: Rachel Frieden, store director for Super Target Wesley Chapel, and Dipayan Biswas, a professor of marketing at the University of South Florida.