RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: NPR business news starts with the battle for holiday shoppers.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: It's not even Halloween yet, and the holiday retail wars have already begun. Today, Wal-Mart is launching the first salvo with a Christmas price guarantee. Between November 1st and December 25th, if customers buy a product and then find it at a lower price elsewhere, Wal-Mart says it will issue a gift card equal to the difference.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The move continues a trend of retailers promoting their holiday products earlier and more aggressively to pull in frugal shoppers who are pickier in this economy. According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, shoppers plan to spend about $700 on gifts this holiday season. That's slightly lower than last year. And about 40 percent of consumers say they'll start their holiday shopping before Halloween.
Walmart launched the first salvo in the holiday retail wars, announcing a Christmas Price Guarantee: Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, if a customer buys a product and then finds it at a lower price elsewhere, Walmart will issue a gift card equal to the difference. The move continues a recent trend of retailers promoting products earlier and more aggressively to pull in frugal shoppers who are pickier in this economy.