How Holiday Shopping is Different This Year

Moschino’s 2010 holiday window display.
Is Black Friday no longer the powerhouse shopping day it once was?  According to the National Retail Federation, as many as 39% of consumers have already started making their holiday purchases.  Interestingly, the super early start is a result of frugality, not an extended holiday shopping spree.  Let’s look at some of the causes of the season’s shift to the early side:

Though it’s partly to make room for the holiday merchandise itself, retailers have offered aggressive discounts in October, which thrifty shoppers are snapping up.