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Holiday shopping in full gear; major shopping likely on Thanksgiving weekend

Crystal Graham
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Shoppers don’t necessarily wait until Black Friday to get the best deals for Christmas anymore. In fact, a James Madison University professor said that shoppers start weeks earlier so they can spread out the spending, avoid last-minute buying and prevent added stressors.

Tony Kim, a professor in the Hart School of Hospitality at JMU, said he also expects retails sales to return to pre-COVID levels.

“The retailers expect to have increased sales this year,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it is expected to be higher than pre-pandemic level in terms of number of people who will shop and the total amount of money they will spend.”

Kim said that the National Retail Federation is predicting that major shopping will still happen during Thanksgiving weekend, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In addition, more consumers will use online shopping platforms for their holiday shopping.

The most popular holiday gift? Kim said the NRF predicts that the most popular gift will continue to be the gift card.

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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]

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