The countdown to Thanksgiving is on as people are making their last-minute preparations for their holiday plans. Accompanying Thanksgiving celebrations are some of the best deals of the year. All followed up by another opportunity to demonstrate thankfulness.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday,and Giving Tuesday have all become major holidays in their own right that allow you to shop and give.

According to the National Retail Federation, approximately 165.3 million people will participate in Black Friday and the days following.

The annual survey done by NRF says that consumers will spend an average of 1,047.83 during the 2019 holiday season, which is 4% more than they were said to spend in 2018.

“Consumers are in good financial shape and willing to spend a little more on gifts for the special people in their lives this holiday season,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers are fully prepared to meet the needs of holiday shoppers looking for that perfect mix of sales, quality and selection.”

Black Friday

Black Friday is a long-held tradition where costumers get in line as early as Thanksgiving morning to gain access to some of the best sales of the year. Although shopping online has become all the rage, Black Friday is still estimated to have 114.6 million consumers partaking in the deals.

You can shop these deals in-store and online early and stores like Target and Walmart are offering exclusive promotions. As this shopping event has evolved over the years, “Black Friday” deals start earlier each year with some retailers already offering some special buys.

Small Business Saturday

This is the 10th anniversary of Small Business Saturday, which was created by American Express in 2009 to brings communities together and celebrate local small businesses.

According to Big Commerce, “Small businesses make up more than 99% of all businesses in the U.S. and employ 47.5% of the country’s workers. On average, only 50% of these businesses survive to pass the five-year mark.”

Help support your local small businesses and get involved! To learn more, go to Big Commerce or American Express.

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday features the best online deals of the year. Last year consumers spent $7.9 billion on Cyber Monday. This year’s predictions are expecting shoppers to spend approximately $9.48 billion, according to BlackFriday.

NRF predicts that about 68.7 million people will be shop Cyber Monday’s online deals. This is second to the 114.6 million people shopping on Black Friday.

Giving Tuesday

Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is meant to be a way to give back during the holiday season. In 2018, $380 million was raised to give back, over $100 million more raised the previous year.

Whether it be volunteering, helping out around your community, or donating, don’t forget to give back this holiday season! Visit GivingTuesday for more information.

On Time Logistics wishes you a Happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!