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U.S. NEWSFriday 27 November 2015
Holiday shoppers get a head start on Thanksgiving
Shoppers walk in front of a holiday display in San Francisco. Black Friday used to kick off the holi- A. D’INNOCENZIO still rank either No. 1 or No.
day shopping season, but now that day has taken a backseat to Thanksgiving Day. Still, retailers AP Retail Writer 2 in sales for the year.
have settled into times that don’t interfere with the turkey feast. NEW YORK (AP) — Black The National Retail Federa-
Friday used to kick off the tion estimates about 135.8
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) holiday shopping season, million people will shop
but now that day has tak- this weekend, compared
en a backseat to Thanks- with 133.7 million last year.
giving Day. Still, retailers The trade group expects
have settled into times that about 30 million to shop on
don’t interfere with the tur- Thanksgiving, compared
key feast. with 99.7 million on Black
After opening earlier and Friday.
earlier on the holiday, this Overall, the group expects
year, most of the more a 3.7 percent increase to
than a dozen major retail- $630.5 billion though the
ers like Macy’s, Target and growth is much higher than
Kohl’s are sticking with their the 10-year average of 2.5
5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Thanksgiv- percent.
ing openings. But grabbing those dollars
One big exception: J.C. will be tough. While over-
Penney, which is opening all economy has been im-
two hours earlier at 3 p.m. proving, shoppers remain
on the holiday. Staples has tight-fisted. Unemployment
reversed course and will rate has settled into a
close on the holiday. And healthy 5 percent rate, but
sporting goods chain REI, shoppers still grapple with
which was always closed stagnant wages that are
on Thanksgiving, is bowing not keeping pace with ris-
out of Black Friday too. ing costs for things like rent.
Still, stores aren’t waiting Stores are also contending
around to push discounts with an increasing shift to
on holiday goods until the researching and buying
official weekend. Increas- online.
ingly, they’ve been dis- In response, Wal-Mart and
counting holiday merchan- Target will be making all of
dise earlier in the month. In the deals available later
fact, according to the Na- in the stores online Thanks-
tional Retail Federation, the giving morning. New this
nation’s largest retail trade year at Target: Shoppers
group, nearly 60 percent who spend $75 or more
of holiday shoppers have on Friday will receive a 20
already started holiday percent discount to use to-
shopping as of Nov. 10. ward a future purchase on
That should take a bite out any day between Dec. 4
of the sales this weekend, and Dec. 13.
though Black Friday should Saks Fifth Avenue pulled
up its Black Friday sale
to Wednesday to get a
jump start to the holiday
shopping season. Gerald
Storch, CEO of Hudson’s
Bay Company, which also
operates Lord & Taylor,
said the deals at the stores
are even more aggressive
than last year and include
a $75 gift card with a $150
in-store purchase.
Storch told The Associated
Press that the luxury chain
considered, and then re-
jected, opening on Thanks-
giving, but it still wanted to
do something special for its
customers.
“It’s a calm alternative to
Black Friday,” said Storch,
referring to the Wednes-
day store sale.q
