Stores All Set For Holidays With Seasonal Offerings
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Halloween is still several weeks away yet already, some stores are getting ready for Christmas.
It seems to happen earlier each year.
Inside the Minnesota-based Patina stores, you'll see a mix of store displays that will make you do a double-take.
There's a skeleton, and a Christmas Tree.
While it might seem early to most people you'd ask, buyers for Patina say there are people out there who are already starting to shop for that perfect gift.
And a new consumer study says shopping early could save you more money than you would waiting all night in the cold for black Friday deals.
The study was by research firm Decide and looked at six years of pricing data.
We spoke about it with the associate dean of the Carlson School of Management.
"What you are going to find on something like Black Friday, is they are going to deep discount some things to draw you into the store," said George John. "They have to find a reason for you to come into the store. If they can convince you it's Christmas season, 'I've got to do a little shopping.'"
Retailers are getting you into the stores with deals, hoping that you'll buy other merchandise at prices that won't sink their profit, John said.
According to that six-year study on pricing, items to get before the holiday shopping season include watches, jewelry, toys and flat-screen TVs.
The things worth waiting until black Friday and beyond -- kitchen appliances, video game systems and highly priced items like tablet computers.
