Some Retailers Already Offering Holiday Deals

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The weeks of back-to-school shopping are over. Now some retailers are already offering holiday shopping deals.

With Christmas more than three months away, Gigi Barnett explains how stores are getting in the game early.

Bargain shoppers, get ready. Mere weeks after back-to-school shopping ends, it's time to pick out holiday gifts--at least, that's what several retailers, like K-Mart, are banking on. The store kicked off early deals and layaway plans for the holiday this week.

Baltimore K-Mart Manager Mark Withers says customers are picking up big ticket items for mega savings.

"Well, if you can buy a patio set for $200 this time of year rather than $800 in the spring, you know you've got it for next year," he said.

While K-Mart is wooing shoppers with special deals on holiday layaway, Wal-Mart is already testing and ranking top-selling products, especially kids' toys. But is it all just too early?

"No, it's not," said K-Mart shopper Jetta Heckstall.

Heckstall says the early shopping gives her time to focus on her list.

"It's never too early to start Christmas shopping because you don't want to leave anybody out," Heckstall said.

And that could cut the stress of the holidays.

"I was talking to a couple of ladies yesterday and they were like, `We're doing all of our shopping now and we're not even going to set foot in this store in December,'" Withers said.

If it seems as if retailers started early last year, too--they did. For the first time ever, big box stores and malls opened on Thanksgiving night instead of the traditional Black Friday. It may be the new normal.

Experts say about 40 percent of customers start their holiday shopping before Halloween.

Other Local News: