The latest statistics show that not only is the Holiday shopping season, traditionally slated to begin the day after Thanksgiving, poised to start earlier this year, but that online retailers are also gearing up to offer more sales and discounts this year than in years previous.

The reason for the earlier start to the shopping season is two- fold, says Britt Beemer, chairman and founder of America’s Research Group.

“It’s going to be an extremely difficult Christmas for many people, “ he says, adding that many physical retailers can expect to see negative sales numbers for the period.

Online retailers, in response are rolling out deals and promotions much earlier than usual. K-Mart will be launching pre-Black Friday sales on November 2nd, both in stores and online, with free shipping in some cases.

Higher end retailers such as Nordstrom will also be offering greater online discounts than in previous years.