Jones, Harkins speak with Sun Journal about Black Friday, Cyber Monday

The Sun Journal spoke with Nory Jones, a professor of management information systems at the University of Maine, and Jason Harkins, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at UMaine, for an article about Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. Economists are forecasting healthy spending numbers this holiday season nationally, with early indicators also looking promising in Maine, according to the article. Harkins warned consumers to shop smart. “Many of the discrete deals available right now aren’t really good deals,” he said. “You could have gotten a better deal in October or August if you’d just actively price-shopped.” Jones said one trend she has watched with interest is the Black Friday-Cyber Monday “defusing.” “Where it used to be a very defined day — both Black Friday and Cyber Monday — now, you’ve probably seen online and in the papers, ‘Black Friday starting now,’” she said. “It kind of makes sense. People only have so much to spend. If you can catch them early and get those dollars early, then you’ll get them instead of somebody else.”