Ulta, Home Depot and other retailers kick off holiday shopping season as early as this week

Everything you need to know about early holiday sales

Last week, Amazon officially kicked off the holiday shopping season with the Prime Early Access sale, but that's not the only retailer offering substantial savings before Black Friday. Ulta, Nordstrom, Home Depot and more are already in the midst of major sales or will be starting them in the coming weeks. Here's a breakdown of what to expect this holiday shopping season.

In this article: Samsung 65-Inch Class QLED Q70A Series 4K Smart TV, 2021 Apple 12.9-Inch iPad Pro and Shark S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum

What are the benefits of having an early holiday shopping season?

• The longer the shopping season is, the more sales retailers can offer and the more time you have to strategize and find exactly what you want and need without compromising. Also, being able to spread payments out over an additional six or more weeks can reduce the strain on already stressed household budgets. On a side note, many retailers are desperate to keep performance up from strong pandemic years, so these early discounts could be equal to (or exceed) what you'll see on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events.

How has the shopping season changed this year?

• As usual, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are going to be huge events. However, this year we'll be seeing major retailers offering a number of one-off shopping events designed to keep people engaged throughout the entire season. In short, instead of worrying about getting all of your holiday purchases done between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers will have weeks to save money.

What's the benefit of online shopping?

With the price of gas going up again, the obvious benefit to online shopping is it saves you money. Items are available at the same price (and sometimes lower) than you can get by going to the store, but you won't have to fuel up your car or SUV to get there. Additionally, when you shop online, it's easy to bookmark prices to immediately compare not only the cost of different brands but the cost between different retailers. Trusted resources, like BestReviews, can quickly and effortlessly connect you to the best deals available.

Current and upcoming 2022 holiday sales events

As previously noted, Amazon already had its Prime Early Access Sale. The good news is even if you missed it, the celebration continues. If you go online right now, you can still find substantial discounts, lightning deals and more. The other events we're currently watching or looking forward to are:

• Microsoft recently held its Surface Event. New products will be available on Oct. 25.
• Currently, Ulta is holding its Gorgeous Hair event. The sale lasts until Oct. 22.
• Apple has some big news about new tech coming soon. This means last year's models will soon be available at deep discounts.
• Nordstrom is in the middle of a limited sale which includes many holiday items, such as artificial trees, so you can get started on making the most of the season right now.
• While Walmart and Target haven't announced any major early events, the retailers do have a selection of Black Friday deals that are already live.
• Sephora's Points Multiplier Event is going on now and will end on Oct. 19. However, the beauty retailer's Holiday Savings Event is starting on Oct. 28.
• Home Depot's Black Friday savings will begin on Halloween.
• Kohl's has not one but three events lined up: Kohl's Veterans Day sale on Nov. 11, Kohl's Levi's Sale (date to be announced) and the Kohl's Thanksgiving Day sale on Nov. 24.
• Best Buy is planning an early Black Friday sale that will take place in November.

Holiday savings you can get right now

Samsung 65-Inch Class QLED Q70A Series 4K Smart TV

Samsung's high-quality 4K TV can display over a billion different colors in brilliant 100% color volume. With built-in Alexa, you can operate this beautiful piece of technology without even lifting a finger.

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2021 Apple 12.9-Inch iPad Pro

Last year's iPad is still head and shoulders above most of the competition. It features the M1 chip, has a TrueDepth camera system and 5G for ultra-fast downloads and streaming. The all-day battery life is a much-appreciated upgrade.

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Samsung HW-B650 3.1 Channel Soundbar

You might have the best picture, but unless you have an external sound system, your TV isn't giving you the best sound. With this 3.1 system, you can get top-quality, fully immersive sound to enjoy a sublime entertainment experience.

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Shark S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright Vacuum

This high-power vacuum has an anti-allergen seal, a HEPA filter and a large-capacity dust bin. It can clean both deep carpets and bare floors with equal efficiency, making it a great whole-home vacuum.

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Crockpot Lunch Crock Electric Lunch Box

Crockpot's personal, 20-ounce portable warmer is ideal for individuals who want home-cooked meals wherever they may go. The tight seal prevents spills, while the inner container and lid are dishwasher-safe for convenience.

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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.