One in four shoppers says they started their holiday shopping this year in September, Retail Dive reports.
A survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by the e-commerce platform Profitero also found:
- 45% said they planned to start holiday shopping before November
- 41% said they plan to spend the most online in November
- 28% plan to shop online for gifts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- 31% said they are unsure when or whether they will do holiday shopping.
The story suggests that consumer uncertainty about the impact of trade tariffs on prices may be contributing to consumers being hesitant with their answers.
It also notes that some companies are hiring earlier for the holidays to respond to shoppers getting an earlier start. For example, Target announced it was doubling the number of employees dedicated to fulfillment and increasing the number of items eligible for free shipping.
