Should you buy your gifts now, or hold out in hopes of last-minute deals?
In 2021, supply chain issues helped make empty shelves a common sight, but that might not be the case this year.
"I think we're going to see a better situation this year than last year," said Alan Gin, an associate professor of economics at the University of San Diego.
Gin says many stores made sure they wouldn't face the same problems that they did last year.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
"There's some talk there might be excess inventory this time around," said Gin. "Companies tried to deal with their supply chain issues and some of them might have overstocked."
While there are still issues that Gin says make importing from certain countries an issue, he says most stores will have plenty of goods and gifts. So when is the best time to shop?
Black Friday is still one of the busiest for shopping. According to the National Retail Federation said 45% of people they asked said they plan to go to the stores this weekend.
And Consumer Reports says some products may actually have their best prices on certain days:
- Thursday - General electronics
- Friday - Televisions
- Saturday - Toys
- Sunday - Clothing and sporting goods
- Monday - Laptops
But if you miss the deals on those days, Gin says don't worry.
Local
"I think if consumers wait this year, they might be able to get better deals," said Gin.
One reason is because of inflation and high prices. Gin says that could slow down the initial shopping rush, which means stores have more product on the shelves and more incentive to slash their prices.
"There's not going to be this big flurry of spending to drive up prices and deplete stocks," said Gin. "Consumers can afford to wait this year."
But remember that just because something is on sale, doesn't mean that it's the best deal. Take a moment to quickly search online to see if that product is selling cheaper anywhere else.
