What will Black Friday be like this year?

Oct 14, 2020
Shopping in crowded stores on Thanksgiving or the day after, Black Friday, is on the CDC's list of high-risk activities for the fall holidays.
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COVID-19 holiday creep is already here

Oct 12, 2020
Holiday shopping is early and mostly online this year, experts say. Avoiding supply-chain delays is part of the reason.
Consumers return to retail shopping at the a mall in Glendale, Arizona, in June. Holiday shopping will be mostly online this year due to the pandemic.
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Thanksgiving won't launch Black Friday shopping at some of the biggest retailers

Jul 29, 2020
Walmart, Target and Best Buy won't open on the holiday this year to jump-start the traditional extreme-shopping weekend.
A Macy's Black Friday sale in 2018 in New York. Store traffic on Thanksgiving is just a small part of Black Friday weekend.
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Gen Z most likely to shop in store on Black Friday

Nov 29, 2019
Even though they grew up on mobile, today's teens seem to still enjoy the social aspect of shopping in person.
Even though they were raised online, today's teens seem to enjoy the social aspect of hitting stores on Black Friday.
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Where are the shopping deals this year?

Nov 27, 2019
In clothing and appliances, sure. In furniture, not so much.
Shoppers walk past a 'Black Friday Sale' sign at a mall in 2018 in Naples, Florida.
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Lots of Americans go into debt over the holidays

Nov 26, 2019
It’s the most financially stressful time of the year.
A man walks past holiday decorations along Fifth Avenue in  New York.
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Black Friday could be a good time to go car shopping

Nov 25, 2019
Low interest rates and plenty of cars on lots could mean deals.
Car dealer lots have plenty of unsold inventory.
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For public good, not for profit.

How do retailers decide what to put on sale for Black Friday?

Nov 7, 2019
These tend to be highly guarded secrets.
Holiday merchandising is more strategic than you might think.
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Why retailers love it when you order online and pickup in store

Nov 23, 2018
Big box and department stores have invested heavily on making it easy for customers to pick up stuff they order online at the store. That’s because research shows that most of those pick-ups actually become shopping trips, where the customer buys more than just what was in the online cart. That’s a growing Black Friday […]

How the day after Thanksgiving came to be known as Black Friday

Nov 19, 2018
This Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is ubiquitously referred to as “Black Friday” by retailers, consumers and the media. We wondered: What does the term mean? And where’d it come from? Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 
The 24th of September 1869: Panic on 'Black Friday' in the New York Gold Room.
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