To buy or not to buy
Black Friday was once infamous for its crush of crowds, but it has seen its hold on the shopping season loosen in recent years as online discounts are applied earlier and earlier. This year, many buyers have already made purchases, tempted by sales events that started as early as October. The National Retail Federation still expects the number of shoppers this weekend to exceed the peak seen two years ago. But the rise of early shopping raises the risk that buyer demand will drop off sharply in December, as the economy slows and rising prices for groceries and other essentials inhibit impulse purchasing.
If demand drops significantly, Mr Saunders said, even deeper discounts are likely to follow. Some retailers are already preparing for that possibility, with Target promising shoppers in October that the firm will refund the difference if it cuts the cost of an item closer to Christmas. "This is a much more cautious Black Friday," Mr Saunders said. "That's a very big change compared to last year certainly, when people were throwing caution to the wind and treating themselves and indulging."
