(CNN) - This year, shopping may be a bit more tame. Black Friday is no longer the busiest shopping day of the year.
Especially since 56 percent of people already started buying gifts, the National Retail Federation reports
“Black Friday is certainly not dead. It’s definitely changing,” said Sara Skirboll of Retail-Me-Not. ”You’ll see different stores offering different promotions in-store than they are online.”
The change may benefit shoppers. Instead of one day of door-busters and deals, expect deep discounts in-store and online throughout the weekend.
Shoppers plan to shell out some cash. According to a Retail-Me-Not survey, people will spend an average of $750. That’s an increase of more than $200 over the same period last year.
“People are spending more, but they are getting much savvier,” Skirboll said. “They are getting more for their money. They are using deals and coupons. They are taking advantage of cash-back offers.”
At some point between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, 69 percent of Americans will shop, according to the NRF. So whether you go to a store or online, be prepared.
“It only takes a couple of minutes to look around the internet, see exactly what you need, make sure you know who you are shopping for, and set a budget.” Skirboll said. “Make sure you know what you are planning to spend on each individual on your list.”
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