The 2021 holiday shopping season is expected to be more robust in comparison to last year’s, with retailers offering longer sales periods and consumers expected to spend at pre-pandemic levels.
Although the 2021 holiday shopping season is being impacted by supply chain and shipping delays, consumer spending is expected to increase. A report by Accenture shows that consumers are budgeting an average of $598 for holiday shopping this season, compared to $539 last year. The report also shows that comfort levels with in-store shopping have risen from last year, with more than half of respondents planning to do their holiday shopping in-store.
While retailers are offering longer sales periods — with many major Black Friday sales having started at the beginning of the month — savings overall are expected to be lower than usual. According to a report from Adobe, consumers should expect smaller discounts on major gifting categories like apparel, electronics, appliances, toys and more, with goods 3 percent more expensive than last year. This price increase can be attributed to supply chain disruptions.
To navigate the changes of this holiday season, WWD spoke with three retail experts on what categories customers can expect the highest — and lowest — savings on
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