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       NEW YORK: US shoppers are out in force for “Black Friday,” but inflation nerves have left them jittery, analysts say, prompting retailers in the world’s biggest economy to come up with ever more deals.

       As markets and consumers eye possible turbulence during the transition from President Joe Biden to Donald Trump, there are hopes that the year’s biggest shopping season — stretching from Thanks-giving to Christmas — will be a bonanza.

       The National Retail Federation (NRF) said a record 183.4 million people are planning to shop over the weekend, ticking up from 182 million last year and 18.1 million higher than 2019, before the Covid pandemic derailed the global economy.

       The so-called “Black Friday” discounts day originated as a single day when shoppers poured — sometimes stampeded — into malls in search of incredible deals.

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       Now the discount window extends through to “Cyber Monday” and the less dramatic online component is huge.

       Adobe Analytics said this year “consumers will spend a record $10.8 billion online for Black Friday” — up nearly 10 per cent from last year.

       But even with inflation largely tamed from the earlier post-Covid shock, Americans are wary.

       Holiday shoppers in 2024 are “even more preoccupied and very focused around value and discounts,” said Vivek Pandya, leading insights analyst at Adobe Digital Insights.

       “We do see stronger price sensitivity on the part of the consumer and they are very responsive to deals and event-tie deals,” he said.

       Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024