38% of consumers plan to spend less this holiday season, making early sales like Prime Big Deal Days appealing to budget-conscious shoppers.
Experts say shoppers should know what they’re looking for and avoid buying something just because a sale creates a sense of urgency.
Waiting for Black Friday or Cyber Monday could mean deeper discounts on some products, but waiting too long also increases the risk of items selling out.
The holiday season can get expensive quickly, especially when shoppers are already feeling the pinch from higher prices. This year, 38% of consumers say they plan to spend less on the holidays than they did last year, according to recent survey data from Omnisend.
That could make Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place October 6 and 7, particularly appealing to shoppers looking to get a head start on their holiday lists. With 26% of consumers planning to start shopping earlier than usual and 35% looking for discount codes and coupons, some shoppers may see October’s deals as a chance to find savings before the holiday rush begins.
But with 78% saying higher prices will affect their holiday spending decisions — and 44% expecting to carry debt into the new year — finding a deal doesn’t necessarily mean spending more.
E-commerce and retail advisor Greg Zakowicz of Omnisend explains what shoppers should keep in mind as they head into the fall shopping season.
Ditch the now or never mindset
With Prime Big Deal Days coming up, it can be easy to get sucked into every seemingly great deal. However, Zakowicz encourages consumers to stick to their budgets, as feeling like you need to buy something immediately for fear of losing it is a common financial mistake.
“Smart, budget-minded shoppers tend to have lists of products they are targeting, understand their everyday costs, and know what a good deal is (in their mind),” he said.
“For shoppers, the challenge with large sales events is thinking the deals are the best they’ll ever be. Sometimes waiting until Black Friday Week or Cyber Monday will provide better deals than purchasing during earlier large-scale sales events.”
Avoiding impulse spending
Taking advantage of sales in October can help consumers spread out their holiday spending. But Zakowicz warns against falling victim to impulse spending as you scroll through the discounts.
“Define what you consider a ‘good’ deal,” Zakowicz said. “Some people may sacrifice saving an extra 5% to guarantee they get a product in time or secure the right size before it sells out. Just because someone pays more doesn’t mean it’s not a good deal.”
Another tip: use AI tools like Amazon’s Rufus to look at the price history of a product.
“The default will show the price for the past 30 days, but you can toggle this to one year, quickly assessing the price during other periods, such as during Black Friday,” Zakowicz said. “That doesn’t guarantee the product will be in stock or reach that same price, but it is an indication of how much you could save.”
Similarly, you can run a less exact search using tools like ChatGPT and Claude. You can paste in the product URL and ask what the price was last Black Friday.
“They will often give you the standard discount offered by the store at that time, but not necessarily with a guarantee whether the specific product was that price or excluded from sales,” he explained.
“For those who choose to wait, find an alternate, fall-back product you’d be happy with in case it does indeed sell out by the time you’re ready to buy.”
Breaking down the shopping strategy
Shopping earlier in the holiday season has become more common among shoppers, but Zakowicz said this isn’t always the best strategy.
“Buying earlier often means you may pay slightly more than if you wait, but based on the product, this difference can vary drastically,” he explained.
“For electronics, such as computers, Cyber Monday tends to offer the deepest discounts of the season, up to 30%. This is where understanding your shopping list and expected price is important. A good deal is a good deal, regardless of when you get it, but in some cases, it may make sense to wait for the tentpole days.”
On the flip side, waiting too deep into the season increases the risk that items will sell out, especially with sized items like clothing.
“Though some customers may find good deals by waiting, they run the risk of sell-outs,” Zakowicz said. “This happened to me in the past, and last year I purchased items earlier than usual, knowing I would get a better deal if I waited, because I had missed out on items the previous year.”