Fueled by changes in customer preferences and economic situations, as well as a global pandemic, holiday shopping will be quite different this year. Retailers will need to make adjustments to best serve their customers and find success, and consumers will need to factor this into their holiday shopping plans. 

According to our latest poll on the blog and on LinkedIn, most respondents said that they were waiting to start their holiday shopping despite retail changes due to the pandemic, election, national shipping delays, and various economic situations. Most retailers such as a Amazon, Home Depot, and Target will be having early Black Friday deals this year to potentially help with customer needs and retail success. 

There was a small group of respondents that said that they started their holiday shopping months ago, which could be beneficial in the long-run. Retail industry experts expect product delays, shortages, and a large amount of out of stock items this year. Some retailers are keeping these potential problems in mind – Amazon will hire over 100,000 seasonal employees and FedEx will hire around 70,000 delivery drivers to help with demand.