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U.S. NEWS Monday 27 noveMber 2017
Shoppers out seeking deals as sales creep earlier

of software maker Adobe, Many stores offered deals
showed that a record $5.03 online all week.
billion was spent online Research firm ShopperTrak
by the end of the day, an said Saturday that prelimi-
increase of nearly 17 per- nary data for Thanksgiv-
cent from a year earlier. ing Day and Black Friday
It said the top-selling items found that shopper visits
on Black Friday includ- to brick-and-mortar stores
ed the Nintendo Switch, declined a combined 1.6
Hatchimals and Colleg- percent when compared
gtibles toys, PJ Masks items, to the same days in 2016.
LOL Surprise dolls, Ride On It said Black Friday 2017
Cars, as well as Chrome- shopper visits decreased
cast and Roku streaming less than 1 percent when
devices. compared to a year ear-
In addition to the online lier, and that the decision
effect, Johnson cited the by some stores to close
Shoppers walk back to their cars at the Garden State Plaza on fact that more stores are on Thanksgiving this year
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Paramus, N.J. Parking lots were full opening on Thanksgiving, helped shift customer visits
and shopping bags were plentiful in some places Saturday as to other days.
holiday gift-seekers were out looking for bargains, even as the and that is “pulling” traffic
competition among retailers to offer earlier deals and snag cus- from the holiday weekend. Shoppers are expected to
tomers first has pulled sales forward. J.C. Penney stores opened spend at least 3.6 percent
(AP Photo/Anne D’Innocenzio) at 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving, more in November and
By BERNARD CONDON though crowds were still an hour earlier than last December than they did
A. D’INNOCENZIO not as heavy as several year and at least three last holiday season — in
AP Business Writers years ago before online hours ahead of its depart- line with last year’s bump.
Parking lots were full and shopping was such a draw. ment store rivals. q
shopping bags were plenti- “Some stores like Nike had
ful in some places Saturday like a hundred people in
as holiday gift-seekers were the checkout line,” said
out looking for bargains, Johnson, president of con-
even as the competition sulting group Customer
among retailers to offer Growth Partners.
earlier deals and snag cus- “Virtually everyone there
tomers first has pulled sales was carrying a bag —
forward. one or two or three or
At the Woodbury Common more.”
outlets north of New York As shoppers said stores also
City, retail expert Craig R. seemed less crowded on
Johnson was impressed by Black Friday than in earlier
how many people were years, data from Adobe
there — Analytics, the research arm
Funeral held for US border

agent: death not explained

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Fam- Martinez was found Nov.
ily, friends and law enforce- 18 in a culvert along with
ment officers converged his seriously injured partner,
on an adobe Catholic whose name has not been
church in El Paso, Texas, released, in a rugged area
Saturday to mourn a Border near Van Horn, about 30
Patrol agent whose death miles (50 kilometers) from
last weekend in the rugged the border with Mexico
and remote Big Bend area and 110 miles (175 kilome-
has not been explained. ters) southeast of El Paso.
Bagpipes played as Bor- Attorney General Jeff Ses-
der Patrol pallbearers in sion was scheduled to at-
green uniforms carried the tend the funeral but it was
U.S. flag-draped coffin of not clear if he was there.
Rogelio Martinez, 36, into Following the funeral, a
Our Lady of Guadalupe graveside ceremony was
Church for a private funer- held at Restlawn Ceme-
al Mass. He died in a hos- tery in El Paso.Speculation
pital Sunday of head and about the cause of death
other injuries. has run rampant with sev-
“It honors him to see law en- eral politicians saying the
forcement agencies from agent was attacked, in-
across the United States” cluding President Donald
attend the service, Border Trump, who used the death
Patrol spokesman Ramiro to highlight his support for
Cordero told reporters out- building a wall on the bor-
side the church. der with Mexico. q