On August 30, Walmart unveiled its "2022 Quality Toys List," saying in a press release that it aims to help consumers plan ahead and save money on holiday gift spending, according to PYMNTS. The move is understood to be a way for Walmart to generate quick cash flow in an economy where spending budgets are falling.

Concerns about inflation are here to stay, prompting a shift in spending habits as U.S. consumers are more likely to make purchases earlier in the holiday season, according to a recent study.
37% of consumers expect to start preparing for holiday shopping early this year, likely shifting their Christmas shopping away from big seasonal shopping stops like Black Friday and Cyber Monday into October or earlier, according to a study by Practical Ecommerce.
On the flip side, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry expects consumers to shop later this holiday season than in the pre-pandemic era. Corie Barry said in a phone interview after the earnings report that while consumers have shopped early in the past two years because of fears of shortages, this year's holiday shopping will be more like a return to the pre-pandemic era, with November and December likely to be a time of frenzied shopping, Bloomberg reported. Best Buy plans to ensure that promotional discounts stay in place during the peak season. The brand expects consumers to be more value conscious this year because of inflation.
Last year, the RetailMeNot and AlixPartners survey showed that U.S. consumers planned to buy gifts early during the holiday season. The July 2021 IntailMeNot survey found: 19% of consumers said they planned to start holiday shopping early in August or earlier; 30 percent of consumers said they would shop earlier than in 2020; Sixty-six percent of consumers say they want to get their holiday shopping done as soon as possible.