The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Experts say Black Friday sales are no longer only offered on the Friday after Thanksgiving – deals can be found starting right after Halloween.
Signs for Black Friday sales are on full display ready to attract shoppers at WestFarms Mall.
“Well, we usually walk the mall but while we are here, we are getting all the good sales that are going on and Christmas shopping,” Doreen Piscitelli, of Newington, said.
WestFarms spokesperson Amanda Sirica said what used to be traditionally a one-day sale to kick off the holiday shopping season has morphed into a season of its own.
“I attribute that to a shortened season this holiday with Thanksgiving falling on the last week of November, we have only four weeks to get our holiday shopping done,” Sirica said.
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Shoppers we spoke to say they like the extended shopping period because it gives them an opportunity to avoid long lines and get first dibs on discounts.
“I was looking forward to it, it’s great because it’s before Black Friday, but we are taking advantage of the sale now so it’s nice we aren’t dealing with the crowds now,” Piscitelli said.
“You come Black Friday, and it’s so packed. So, right now it's not so packed. So, I get to look for what I want and not have to worry about the madness,” Jocelyn Tolentino, of Waterbury, said.
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Deep deals are also available online. The Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut said with more sales available, there is also a possibility for more scams.
“We found that 87% of those who were targeted by an online shopping scam this year lost money. It's not a ton of money, it is $100, but that's okay to the scammers because so many are falling for it,” BBB Serving CT Director of Communication Kristen Johnson said.
Johnson said scammers will copy and paste pictures, logos and even use similar fonts from reputable retailers to lure in customers.
“The only way you are going to know the difference is if you look at the URL on the top of the screen and see where you actually are,” Johnson said. “Make sure it starts with HTTPS, that ‘s’ stands for secure, that means if you are using a credit card, it should be secure, no one should steal that information, there should also be a lock symbol."
Johnson said a lot of times, scams will start on social media, so keep a watchful eye on what you click on.
“It will be a made-up ad that looks like a real store, you will click on the link, and you will think you are on that store's website but in reality, you are on a copycat,” Johnson said.
BBB offers a Scam Tracker, where consumers can report suspected scams and warn others to avoid similar cons.
