HOUSTON — Remember those full-color, multi-page Black Friday ads, pre-pandemic, when we used to plan and plan for our thanksgiving night and Black Friday shopping?
Those days are pretty much gone in 2022.
That means you can say goodbye to parking lot lines, rushing the doors, and hoping to grab a deal before it is sold out.
The pandemic has turned Black Friday into almost a full month of sales, and Walmart shoppers like Inga Anderson aren't waiting.
"I just shop online in my pajamas," Anderson said. "Rather than to go to the store and fight the crowds, and run for the door, I don't want to do that anymore."
Walmart just kicked off its "Deals for Days" online with three weeks of sale events. Best Buy started its first round of Black Friday sales Nov. 1. Target is running new Black Friday deals every day. Amazon is rotating deals throughout November. Kohl's started its Early Black Friday Deals, with various markdowns, and extra Kohl's Cash offerings. Finally, Macy's has its Early Access Black Friday sale on now, with great deals on clothing and small appliances.
The biggest dilemma facing shoppers right now is do you shop this week with many of the deals now underway, or do you wait for Thanksgiving night or the actual Black Friday, hoping to score a better deal?
It depends on what you are looking for.
Jenna Young said like a lot of shoppers she's not waiting for Thanksgiving to do most of her shopping.
"I think it's good to start shopping early," she said," so that you can have a better selection of items."
If you really miss the thrill of the hunt, don't worry.
Walmart and most other big stores open at 6 a.m. Friday after Thanksgiving for the traditionalists. Is it still worth waiting for Thanksgiving night to shop?
For some things, like Apple Watches, of a rock bottom price on 4K TV, perhaps. Otherwise, you'll find plenty of great deals before then, with no stress, so you don't waste your money.