Attention, holiday shoppers!
Americans are expected to hit stores this Black Friday in unprecedented numbers, but they are likely to curtail their spending as they find fewer bargains from tariff-hit retailers.
Marking the biggest turnout ever for the five-day stretch between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, an expected 186.9 million people will shop, up from 183.4 million last year, the National Retail Federation projects. But sales growth for the last two months of the year, crucial for retailers, is expected to slow.
The federation estimates average spending on gifts and seasonal items such as decorations, cards, food and candy will reach $890 per person, slightly less than last year's $902. Nearly two-thirds of the 8,427 consumers polled say they will wait for Thanksgiving weekend deals, up from 59% in 2024, with older shoppers driving the trend.
Some other factoids that caught my eye:
According to WalletHub, JCPenney, Belk and Kohl's are 2025's best places to shop on Black Friday, offering an average discount of at least 45%.
If you're one of the 43% of Americans with an unused gift card burning a hole in your pocket, the holidays may be the perfect time to put that to use, too, Bankrate says.
Tablets, phones and home accessories are most likely to see price hikes just before the holiday sales events begin, according to research from KnownHost.
If you're a holiday shopper, I'd love to hear from you. What's on your list? Are prices giving you sticker shock, or are the discounts real? Are you using AI to price shop this year? Drop me a note: onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com.
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