'Tis the season for holiday shopping. And this year, spending is expected to be bigger — and come sooner — than ever.

The fight is on between the big players hoping to steal a major slice of the anticipated $655.8 billion pie. And retailers aren't waiting around. This week, Amazon launched its Black Friday deals a full 50 days early and Walmart announced its 4,600 stores will be used to entice customers with parties — yes parties.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner and Super Saturday looming, the Retail Dive team sat down to talk through the three biggest trends we'll be keeping a close eye on as the season unfolds. While the holidays always leave a bit of a surprise, the fierce competition between retailers on voice ordering, speedy delivery and promotions are trends that will likely define this shopping season.

So, sit back, relax and listen. You can stream the episode below or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.