News US Economy News The Balance Today: News You Need To Know on Sept. 9, 2022 Should You Start Holiday Shopping Early? By Kara Greenberg Kara Greenberg Twitter Kara Greenberg is the newsletter editor for The Balance. She joined the team in 2021 as a finance editor and now owns the production and strategy of The Balance's weekday and weekend newsletters. Kara has also written and edited for Investopedia, and she was previously a researcher and editor at The Wire. Earlier in her career, she worked in financial compliance and due diligence at Loomis, Sayles & Company and The Bank of New York Mellon. learn about our editorial policies Published on September 9, 2022 Photo: Petri Oeschger / Getty Images Though summer is hardly even over yet, some retailers are already counting on you to start your holiday shopping sooner to beat inflation. Macy’s officials said this week that they expect another early start to holiday shopping this year and they might not be far from the mark. Some surveys indicate about half of shoppers intend to do just that, with some saying they’ve already gotten started amid worries about rising prices. However, many shoppers indicated they haven’t set aside the money for holiday purchases yet, and more than a fifth suggested they might take on debt or use buy now, pay later to buy gifts they don’t have the cash for. A recent report by Morning Consult found that some shoppers are also responding to inflation or "shrinkflation”—when producers shrink product sizes and weights rather than raise prices—by buying in bulk. Getting started early could give you more time to consider purchases and search for the best deals, while bulk purchases can help drive down unit costs. It’s also worth noting that borrowing costs are expected to become more expensive as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to cool inflation, and it might not be a good time to make any large purchases you’re not sure you’ll be able to pay off. If you don’t have one already, it can also help to create a plan and budget that fits you to guide your choices. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bankrate. "Survey: Half of Holiday Shoppers To Begin by Halloween." Morning Consult. "Consumers’ Sensitivity to ‘Shrinkflation’ Is Leading Them to Switch Food & Beverage Brands."