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shopping black friday
NEW YORK (AP) — After weeks of pushing early deals, retailers in the United States and some other countries tried to seduce customers with promises of bigger discounts on Black Friday, the sales event that still reigns as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster.
Department stores, shopping malls and merchants — big and small — see the day after Thanksgiving as a way to energize shoppers and to get them into physical stores at a time when many gift-seekers do the bulk of their browsing and buying online.
Enough traditionalists are still around that Black Friday remains the biggest day of the year for retail foot traffic in the U.S., according to retail technology company Sensormatic Solutions.
“Black Friday is still an incredibly important day for retailers,” Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic, said. “It’s important for them to be able to get shoppers into their store to show them that experience of what it’s like to browse and touch and feel items. It also can be a bellwether for retailers on what to expect for the rest of the holiday season.”
At Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan, there was a steady stream of shoppers as of 7:30 a.m. on Friday, an hour and a half after the flagship store opened. Discounts included 40% to 50% off most boots and shoes, special occasion dresses marked down by 30%, and 60% off the store’s luxury bedding brand. The prices of many handbags also were listed as half-off.
