ROANOKE, Va. – It is officially the holiday shopping season, but Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have a bit of a shadow over them with inflation near record highs. So, how does this bode for holiday gifts?
“A lot of people actually anticipate spending more than they did last year,” said Roanoke College economics professor Dr. Alice Kassens.
With consumer prices up 7% over last season, you’ll need to dig deeper in your wallet.
Sharon Pryor was standing outside of La De Da in downtown Roanoke on Black Friday morning with a plan.
“I’m going to watch for those bargains and get what I can at the best possible price,” Pryor said.
Kassens said shopping locally is key right now.
“They’ll need to be competitive on price, however, with these online companies,” Kassens said.
It’s all about keeping your holiday celebrations unique, festive and frugal.