Vermonters use different strategies to find savings as they tackle holiday shopping lists

VERGENNES, Vt. (WCAX) - Cyber Monday is a day for shoppers to snag a great deal on holiday buys from the comfort of their couches. But are Vermonters participating in the trend? Many shoppers told our Elissa Borden they didn’t partake in Black Friday sales and didn’t plan to buy anything on Cyber Monday.

For those who did participate in the holiday shopping weekend, each had a different approach on how to score the perfect gifts.

On what’s supposed to be a weekend full of major retail savings, Vermonters in Addison County tackled their holiday shopping in different ways.

For some, the spending began on Black Friday.

“I just bought two advent calendars for my daughters. I think I spent a total of $12,” said Shelley Rot of Panton.

Rot said she bought the calendars on Friday, a day well-known for deals on otherwise expensive items, but she isn’t planning to make big-ticket purchases this year.

“I think we’re just going to keep it really low key this year,” Rot said.

Kevin Kareckas of Vergennes-- dad to a newborn baby girl-- also opted to keep it low-key on Black Friday.

“For us, we stayed pretty local. We were actually able to walk just downtown here in Vergennes and that was pretty fun. We were able to connect and show our new baby off to some of the people we know around town,” Kareckas said.

Despite staying out of big box stores, he says Vergennes really showed up with the deals, especially on small items.

“I guess just some trinkets for friends and family, as well. So, people that moved away from Vermont, we were able to send them some tokens of home, too,” Kareckas said.

Other shoppers waited until Cyber Monday to snag deals online.

“I got some striped pajamas for my three grandsons, a gray cashmere sweater for my daughter-in-law. I bought my son a very nice insulated blue corduroy jacket,” said Rosemary O’Malley of Weybridge.

She said she snagged great deals on everything.

Another shopper said she’ll head to Amazon for a deal Monday.

“I need to find a kitchen set for my granddaughter,” said Dianne Marcotte of North Ferrisburgh.

But it’s at the small stores in Vergennes where she will be doing the heavy holiday lifting.

“A little bit of everything, I think. I love the small shops here, so whatever catches my eye,” Marcotte said.

Though Louise Brunelle of Williston got an early start this year, snagging deals last Wednesday.

“Actually I went out with my granddaughter, we were looking for sneakers for her. And so it sort of just... spread,” Brunelle said.

She said she’ll do the same thing next year, and said you don’t need Black Friday chaos to snag savings.

“They had a lot of sales going and even one of the stores said you probably wouldn’t get a better deal,” Brunelle said.

Industry experts predict that as shopping deals start earlier and earlier each year, the relevance of Cyber Monday will diminish.

Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.