Why have major sales been starting earlier and earlier each year?

Sales have been creeping earlier on the calendar because of competitive dynamics. It used to be that Black Friday shopping started after Thanksgiving in a civilized, contained weekend. Then one retailer moved their sale up a week early to capture sales before competitors, and it worked incredibly well. Then others moved up two weeks, then three weeks, and so on. This pattern has repeated across all major sales. By starting earlier, you can capture some sales out of the market more easily than waiting. This is also why sale deadlines now often occur before the actual holiday - it’s about getting ahead of the market timing and ensuring shipping can arrive on time.

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Asked by an artist curious about sales timing · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-04-18