Nov. 6—Inflation could be the Grinch that stole Christmas this year.

Holiday shoppers face a troubled economic landscape that includes persistent inflation, a tight labor market and lingering supply chain snags. November and December account for almost 20% of retailers' yearly sales, the National Retail Federation reports.

But this year, 43% of shoppers said they don't make enough to cushion their extra holiday spending. Among those shoppers, 40% plan to dip into savings, 32% intend to take on credit card debt, 25% will use buy-now, pay-later services and 22% anticipate selling assets.

Here are some tips on how to save, score great finds and shop responsibly during this holiday season.

Shop local

Shopping at local businesses doesn't only help those owners but supports the entire community, said Carrie Simison, director of marketing and communications at the Downtown Partnership.

"For every 100 bucks you spend at a locally owned shop or restaurant, $70 stays in the community," Simison said. "So that's a really nice chunk of money that supports our neighbors."

When shoppers leave their computers and patronize local, brick-and-mortar stores, she said, "it contributes to the local sales tax and helps support the other services in the city like ... parks and roads," Simison said. "And so definitely being local and doing it in person versus going on the internet gives the whole city better revenue."

Start early

Inflation and the fear of prices rising further might motivate many consumers to get a head start on the season, the National Retail Federation said.

According to the group's annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, 46% of holiday shoppers planned to browse or start buying before November. Retailers responded to that demand, the National Retail Federation said, with "several major scheduled buying events in October."

Early shoppers also might find a better shopping experience. The retail industry added almost 350,000 jobs over the past 12 months, the federation reports, but employers still are hard-pressed to find workers. That's why patience might be worth adding to your shopping list before leaving the house this holiday season — and why you might want to head out now before the crowds grow.

From Frida Kalo stickers to reusable utensils, retailer Eclectic CO's gift opportunities come from local artisans who create and sell sustainable handmade goods. At Eclectic CO, shopping early can mean the chance not only to be first to get what's on the shelf, but the chance to order personalized gifts.

"There are a handful of our vendors that do take custom orders," said Dani Hughes, manager at Eclectic CO's downtown location. "We're always happy to pass along the information if a customer is interested in something like that."

For shoppers who want to forgo the lines, online buying can save time and money. Last year, 19.7% of holiday sales took place online.

Though Amazon is a major player in online sales, it nonetheless can help you support small businesses.

The company has an icon and note on product pages that let shoppers know if the vendor is a small business. By Amazon's standard, which uses the Gartner definition of small business, those are businesses with fewer than 100 people and less than $50 million in annual revenues.

If shopping online, browsing early is still the way because it offers a better chance of finding items in stock and receiving them on time.

Shop in person

Shopping in person, though, has its advantages, said the Downtown Partnership's Simison. Not only can you see and feel the products that you're considering, but you also don't have to worry about shipping delays.

Also, the extra time it might take to visit a store can provide intangible benefits to shoppers, Simison said.

"Knowing that in advance that checking out could take a little bit longer, you're still going to get that great customer service from somebody that's probably your neighbor," she said.

"So, you could engage and have that conversation and maybe meet someone that you're standing in line with versus just rushing through."

To skip the lines at Colorado Springs' Tattered Cover location downtown, CEO and co-owner Kwame Spearman emphasized the option of a membership night. With a $20 annual Friends of Tattered Cover membership, customers can get a night of personalized shopping after the store closes early several times throughout the holiday season.

"What we'll do is all of our buying team will be in store, all of our best booksellers, and our leadership team will be in store to help our customers shop and to make recommendations," Spearman said. "We'll have wine and beer available for free."

Spend wisely

Cutting costs on gifts this season will be a top priority for many shoppers, with more than 60% of consumers agreeing that sales and promotions are more important to them this year than last year, the National Retail Federation reported.

Among a survey of Walmart shoppers, 78% said that inflation will have some or a great deal of impact on their holiday shopping.

Considering inflated prices, Simison said the city will provide shoppers with a coupon book for use at downtown stores on Nov. 26 for Small Business Saturday.

"It'll be in Acacia Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.," Simison said. "... We also usually hand out a couple days in the parking garages leading up to that."

Simison said shoppers can call or email the Downtown Partnership to request a coupon book if they are still in stock.

Shoppers also can save money by looking for bargains and spreading out their holiday gift shopping throughout the season instead of spending big in one massive spree, said Hughes with Eclectic CO.

Hughes also noted the importance of shopping with purpose.

"I feel like one thing, especially with the cost of things going up, instead of buying to buy is to ask the person a few things they might like and ask what shops they enjoy," Hughes said.

And when customers visit those local stores, Simison emphasized that most of the shops have thoughtful gift options starting as low as $5.

"Local places like Eclectic CO and Ladyfingers Letterpress want to make sure they've got something at all different price points," Simison said.

"So, you can put thought behind something local and not just be about how much money you're spending."