National

Target is bringing back a rare discount on one of the top holiday gifts — gift cards, according to its weekly online sales circular.

Why it matters: The National Retail Federation's annual holiday survey showed gift cards are expected to be a favorite gift once again with total spending projected to reach $28.6 billion, compared with $28.1 billion in 2021.

Holiday shoppers plan to purchase between three to four gift cards and spend an average of $51.47 per card or $165.87 per person, the survey found, which is similar to 2021.

Clothing is the top gift category with 55% of consumers planning to buy, followed by gift cards at 45%.

Details: Get 10% off store gift card purchases up to $500 through its Target Circle loyalty program — for a maximum savings of $50.

The gift card discount is Saturday and Sunday.

Exclusions apply and the offer is available on in-store and online Target gift card purchases.

Flashback: Being a member of the loyalty program has been required to get the annual gift card discount since 2020.

Target had a two-day gift card discount in late September, but it was only for RedCard holders.

How it works: Shoppers qualify for a price adjustment on Target purchases made between Oct. 6 and Christmas Eve if store prices go down "any time on or before Dec. 24."

Target also will match select competitors' pricing within 14 days of purchase, though exclusions apply.

Meanwhile, Walmart has also extended its return window for the holidays.

Editor’s note: The headline was corrected to reflect that the sale starts on Saturday, not Friday.

Target's gift card sale starts Saturday with 10% discount

Target’s annual gift card deal is available in stores and online with the free Target Circle program.

Target holds a gift card sale in December. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Target

Retail

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Bath & Body Works’ popular Candle Day sale is back but with a rare 30-cent price drop despite inflation.

The big picture: Days after record Cyber Monday and Black Friday spending, the made-up holiday for candles is Thursday, Dec. 1, for loyalty members and retailers including Bath & Body are firing up discounts. 

A record $9.12 billion was spent online for Black Friday, with electronics driving much of the growth compared to last year, according to Adobe Analytics data.

Americans spent $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe.

All three-wick candles are $9.95, more than 62% off the regular price of $26.50 during the sale that starts Thursday night for rewards members and continues through Saturday.

The regular price for the candles is $1 more than last December and the 2021 Candle Day sale price was $10.25. 

The company said it’s the lowest price on candles since 2020 and called it  “pre-pandemic prices.”

Between the lines: There’s a purchase limit of 18 candles, the company said. By the numbers: Bath & Body Works said the sale will feature 150-plus candles including holiday scents like The Perfect Christmas and Fresh Balsam.

More than 40 new candles will also drop for the sale.

The early access sale will light up 8 p.m. to midnight ET Thursday online exclusively for members of the retailer’s new loyalty program.

The official online sale will then begin Friday and will continue through Saturday while supplies last. 

Of note: Candles have sold out quickly online in past Candle Day sales and quantities also were limited in-store.

Many stores will open early for Candle Day and past sales some shoppers lined up early.

Be smart: Search for hours using the retailer’s store locator on its website.

Many stores will open early for Candle Day and past sales some shoppers lined up early. 

Black Friday online sales break new record despite inflation woes

Amazon celebrates "biggest ever" holiday weekend

Bath & Body Works Candle Day sale returns with $9.95 candles

Candle Day 2022 is Saturday but Bath & Body Works brings back its popular sale with discounts on candles early.

Bath & Body Works' Candle Day sale is Photo: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Shopping

Amazon just had its "biggest ever" holiday shopping weekend, the company said Wednesday.

Why it matters: Analysts predicted a lackluster year for holiday shopping due to rising concerns from Americans over inflation and the cost of living, per CNBC.

Details: Amazon said it saw record-breaking sales over the five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday with "hundreds of millions of products" sold.

Consumers snagged up a number of electronic items, with the most popular items being Apple AirPods, Amazon Echo Dot smart speakers and Fire TV sticks, according to Amazon.

Champion apparel, Nintendo Switch video game consoles and the Connect 4 from Hasbro were among the best-selling items, too, the company said.

Small businesses in the U.S. had more than $1 billion in sales during the holiday weekend, Amazon said.

What they said: “This was a record-breaking holiday shopping weekend for Amazon," said Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon Stores, in a statement. "Customers shopped millions of deals this weekend and we have many more amazing deals to come."

Zoom out: A record $9.12 billion was spent online for Black Friday and an additional $11.3 billion was spent on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics data.

Americans were especially on the hunt for deals and discounts this Black Friday weekend due to rising costs of gas, food, rent and essentials, the Associated Press reports.

Consumers used a number of new payment methods for their holiday shopping, including "buy now, pay later" options, as well as mobile devices, as Axios reports.

Amazon said it saw record-breaking sales over the five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.

Packages move along a conveyor belt at an Amazon Fulfillment center on Cyber Monday in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Packages move along a conveyor belt at an Amazon Fulfillment center on Cyber Monday in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Amazon

Cyber Monday — expected to be the biggest online shopping day of the year — got off to an early start after Black Friday sales wrapped up.

Why it matters: Online holiday shopping is growing at a slower pace than in past years but it continues to break records, according to Adobe Analytics.

Many Black Friday sales continued through Saturday, which was also Small Business Saturday.

By the numbers: Consumers spent $5.29 billion on Thanksgiving Day, a 2.9% increase over last year, per Adobe.

A record $9.12 billion was spent online for Black Friday, with electronics driving much of the growth compared to last year, according to Adobe. 

Cyber Monday is projected to grow 5.1% over last year with $11.2 billion in sales, Adobe said.

Meanwhile, Cyber Week, the five days from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, is expected to generate $34.8 billion in online spending and represent 16.3% of the November to December holiday season, Adobe projects.

Computers and furniture are expected to have the biggest discounts this Cyber Monday, Adobe said.

Here are some of the details about some of the biggest Cyber Monday sales:

Amazon Cyber Monday deals 2022 start Saturday

What's happening: Amazon has one of the earliest starts to its Cyber Monday sale, which will run Saturday through Monday, Nov. 28.

The weekend sale will feature "deep discounts across top categories," the company said in a news release.

Amazon said it will have "surprise deals dropping every 30 minutes during select periods of the three-day event."

Target Cyber Monday 2022 deals start Sunday

Target unveiled details Friday for its two-day Cyber Monday sale that starts Sunday morning online and on the retailer's app.

There will be "deep savings on hundreds of thousands of items" on "everything from TVs and laptops to apparel and toys," Target said.

Target said it will continue to offer weeklong deals similar to the weekly Black Friday deals it started in October. 

Walmart's Cyber Monday sale starts 7pm ET Sunday on the retailer's website and app.

A toy sale continues through Cyber Monday with up to 50% hundreds of toys.

Black Friday sale also continues through the weekend, Walmart told Axios.

Walmart Cyber Monday deals include toys, electronics and small kitchen appliances like coffee makers.

State of play: There is no early start for the Cyber Monday sale for Walmart+ members like with the company's three Black Friday sales, Walmart confirmed to Axios.

Kohl's announced in a news release that its "Cyber Kickoff event" will begin Saturday with "deals on hundreds of top gifts" and a 20% discount.

Free shipping on online orders of $25 or more continues through Monday.

On Cyber Monday, online Kohl’s Rewards shoppers can use a $10 off $50 coupon and earn $15 for every $50 spent. Coupon exclusions apply.

The sale will also kick off a month of Kohl's Cash earn opportunities, the company said with a chance to earn Kohl's Cash every day through Christmas Eve.

Best Buy said on its website that it will hold a Cyber Monday sale Sunday and Monday online and in stores.

Some Cyber deals will be available after Monday, too, the company said.

What they're saying: "Even though Cyber Monday technically falls on a Monday, we like to offer our customers a little more time to shop those hot offers by starting the sale a little earlier," Best Buy said.

What's next: While not a part of Target’s Cyber Monday sale, the retailer will offer a rare gift card discount Dec. 3-4, according to the upcoming sales circular that was posted online Friday.

In late September, Target had a two-day gift card discount in late September but it was only for RedCard holders.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information. 

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Illustration of a pixelated hand holding a shopping bag

Online shopping

Black Friday deals are here with extended store hours

Walmart Black Friday hours are the usual 6am to 11pm but many stores are opening early Friday.

Best Buy store with shoppers lined up before the Black Friday opening

Best Buy is open 5am to 10pm for Black Friday 2022. Photo: Kelly Tyko/Axios

Finish Line

Axios Finish Line

The Black Friday chaos we used to see in storefronts and shopping malls has moved to logistics centers and warehouses all over the world: 

Hundreds of thousands of employees work long hours — often in tough conditions — to get through the holiday rush.

The big picture: E-commerce's growing share of the retail market, continued COVID precautions and an extended holiday shopping season means we might see shorter lines and smaller crowds in stores on Black Friday. 

But the type of strain Black Friday used to place on in-store retail workers hasn't gone away. It's simply moved out of public view.

By the numbers: In-store traffic on Black Friday last year was down a staggering 28% from pre-pandemic levels, CNBC reports.

Online shoppers outnumbered in-store shoppers 88 million to 67 million on Black Friday 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. 

The stakes: The barrage of holiday orders creates a surge in demand for short-term labor, said Tom Vickers, who leads the Work Futures Research Group at Nottingham Trent University.

 "The evidence suggests that if anything things are getting worse for workers not better," Vickers said.

What they're saying: Amazon told Business Insider, ""We are proud of the great working conditions, wages and benefits, and career opportunities we provide for our associates all year round."

What to watch: Retailers are rapidly adding cutting-edge automation to warehouses. But instead of making workers' lives easier, the machines could push them to work even faster, experts say.

"People have to fit in with the machines," Vickers said. "But human beings are not standardized."

The bottom line: Black Friday sales are projected to hit $942 billion this year, up 6% from last year, per CBS News. 

As consumer demand for deals and speed grows, online retailers, will continue to mobilize hundreds of thousands of workers and machines to meet that demand.

Go deeper: Amazon can't get enough human workers — so here come the robots

The hidden cost of Black Friday

Warehouse injuries increase during the holidays.

Illustration of a small man carrying a giant holiday gift

You won't find much that's open on Thanksgiving these days, especially if you need a pharmacy.

The big picture: Expect limited hours and some stores to be closed, so the sooner might be the better if you're running behind.

Many restaurants also are closed Thursday but you can still pick up a holiday drink at Dunkin' and Starbucks.

State of play: Thanksgiving is not the start of Black Friday in-person shopping like it was before COVID-19, but some stores like Costco and Kohl's are adding additional deals online Thursday. 

COVID is also a factor in why some retailers stopped having traditional Black Friday ads.

The following retailers will open most of their stores but hours vary.

Yes, but: Not all locations are open and not all retailers' holiday hours are easily found on websites and apps. 

Acme Market: Most stores open 7am to 4pm.

Albertsons: Hours vary, but most have shorter hours.

Food Lion: Varies, but many open until 3pm.

Giant Food: 6am to 5pm with pharmacy hours 9am to 1pm.

Gas stations and discount stores open Thanksgiving

Here are chains in which most locations should be open, but check ahead. Additional stores, smaller chains and convenience stores will also be open, many with reduced hours.

ARKO Corp convenience stores (E-Z Mart, fas mart, Scotchman, Admiral, Roadrunner and Village Pantry).

CVS: Hours vary, but most stores will close at 5pm Thursday.

Rite Aid: Hours vary but many open 8am to 7pm.

Walgreens: Hours vary but many stores open 9am to 6pm.

Not all locations of the following restaurants will be open Thursday and hours will vary. In some cases, just select locations are open, so it's best to check with your closest location before heading out.

Websites and apps do not always reflect holiday hours.

Being open on a holiday is often a franchise decision.

Between the lines: Restaurant locations inside mall food courts or stores like Target and Walmart will be closed.

Red Lobster (see website for select locations that are open)

Restaurants are open for dining in and takeout and Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans and Boston Market are among the restaurants offering turkey dinners.

Ordering deadlines for large meals vary and many of them passed earlier in the week, but it's still possible to pick up a meal, those supplies are limited.

Wawa convenience stores also have a hoagie and bowl with hot turkey, potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce called The Gobbler. 

By the numbers: Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores will be closed on Thanksgiving because of state laws. 

County or municipal laws also can mean stores in some areas have shorter hours.

Set your alarm early Friday for in-store Black Friday. Here's the list of when stores are open for Black Friday deals.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.

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Stores and restaurants open on Thanksgiving 2022

Many fast food restaurants will be open Thanksgiving but not all locations will be serving and expect limited hours.

Illustration of a neon sign with a turkey in it lighting up and flickering.

Thanksgiving

The easiest shortcut to spotting Black Friday deals is vanishing before our eyes: the sales circulars that once stuffed Thanksgiving Day papers are becoming a relic.

The big picture: The circulars were a mainstay for holiday shoppers but retailers have been phasing them out, so discounts can shift with inventory.

COVID has transformed Black Friday sales from a few short days to weeks of discounts with more offers pushed online.

Why it matters: It's harder to find out what's on sale and make your shopping plans.  

🗞️ In the past, we could flip through paper or digital ads. 

Now they're gone from Best Buy and Walmart. So customers have to wade through websites and categories and products.

🛍️ Where they're left: Target, Kohl's and JCPenney have large circulars posted online. Lowe's, The Home Depot and Macy's have circulars in some newspapers.

Yes, but: With retailers rolling out more holiday deals online than in-store, the push to digital makes sense.

It's also not just happening around Black Friday. Stores including CVS, Walgreens, Target and Dick's Sporting Goods have trimmed weekly print advertisements, RetailWire reported in March. 

Quick take: For decades, sales circulars have been how retailers promoted their discounts but had to be planned out weeks and more than a month in advance.

“The tools we have to surgically adjust pricing are so much more sophisticated than they were several years ago," Dick's Sporting Goods CEO Lauren Hobart said during a March investor conference where she spoke of previously having "blunt instruments in the newspaper."

 🗞️ Zoom out: Coupons in general are dying so it's not a shock that there were fewer Black Friday coupons in Thanksgiving papers.

Retailers do have coupons to scan in apps and codes to use online.

Thanksgiving Day newspapers were also in short supply as media companies stopped the presses for holiday editions in some parts of the country.

The Washington Post that arrived in Arlington, Va., Thursday morning included Kohl's, Macy's, Home Depot and Lowe's ads, Axios' Mike Allen reports. 

The (Raleigh) News & Observer had all of those plus Belk, Dollar General and a few others. 

The Sun Sentinel in South Florida had Home Depot, Lowe's, Rooms To Go, Macy's, Bealls and Bealls Outlet plus a Publix grocery circular for the sale starting Friday.

Some newspapers even charge more for the Thanksgiving paper that used to be known as the "biggest paper of the year" — aka a boatload of Black Friday ads they were paid to bring you. (Today's Post is $5; the N&O is $5.99.)

Flashback: In 2014, the Orlando Sentinel touted that its Thanksgiving edition weighed nearly five pounds.

When stores are open for Black Friday deals

Black Friday's surprise vanishing act

Best Buy and Walmart don't have traditional Black Friday ads this year.

Media

Black Friday is once again expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year, according to holiday season predictions and consumer surveys.

Why it matters: With the lure of saving money, more consumers are expected to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales than last year to push back against inflationary pressure, a new survey from Deloitte found.

Eight in 10 consumers plan to shop during the five-day holiday period (Thanksgiving through Monday), up from 71% last year, per Deloitte.

Black Friday sales have been going on for weeks but the official day is Friday. Here's when to shop.

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