Walmart and Target to start holiday sales earlier this year.this is the reason

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart and Target plan to launch deals and price-matching offers earlier this year, with Americans looking for ways to ease the potential pain of soaring inflation and holiday shopping. catch up with

Inflation, which remains near a 40-year high, may encourage families to start shopping earlier in hopes of avoiding even higher prices later, experts believe. .

The holiday sales strategy announced Thursday comes amid expectations of slower holiday sales growth compared to a year ago. His global consulting firm, AlixPartners, forecasts year-end sales to rise 7% from his 4%, well below last year’s 16% growth. His current inflation rate of 8.3% means that retailers’ real sales will decline.

Walmart, the largest US retailer, has also extended its return window by more than a month. According to the company, gift returns will be accepted from October 1 through January 31, compared to last year’s return period of November 1 through January 24.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart is expanding its range of merchandise this year by offering more new brands and Walmart exclusives than a year ago, according to the company’s chief e-commerce officer, Tom Ward. offers. The company has stepped up discounts on merchandise such as toys, household items, electronics and beauty products. More than half of the toys on Walmart’s anticipated list of hot holiday picks are under his $50, with many under $25, and nearly all of the toys are available to buy now or pre-order at walmart.com. can do.

Minneapolis-based Target said it would start offering holiday deals between Oct. 6 and Oct. 8, a few days earlier than a year ago, and then start price matching a few days earlier.

Target offers the most generous price match offers in the retail industry, competing against offers from over 20 other stores. This also applies to purchases made on Target.com.

Target plans to hire up to 100,000 seasonal workers in its stores and distribution centers this holiday season, as it did a year ago.

Walmart has taken a more cautious approach to hiring this year, announcing this week it will hire 40,000 U.S. workers for the holiday season, most of them seasonal workers.

Last year, Walmart said it would hire about 150,000 new U.S. store workers, in addition to 20,000 regular distribution and warehouse workers, as the pandemic disrupted its supply chain.