Black Friday fans may find few deals

US shoppers likely to favour essentials

- SIDDHARTH CAVALE

A shopper walks past an advertisement for Black Friday sales at a store in Arlington, Virginia, last November.

(REUTERS)

Unprecedented numbers of Americans are expected to hit stores this Black Friday, but they are likely to curtail their spending as they find fewer bargains from tariff-hit retailers.

Marking the biggest turnout ever for the five-day stretch between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, 186.9 million people will shop, up from 183.4 million last year, the National Retail Federation projects. But sales growth for the last two months of the year, crucial for retailers, is expected to slow.

“Everything seems to be way more expensive” at malls, said Kate Sanner, a New Yorker who runs an online aggregator for secondhand listings. Last year, Ms Sanner, 33, spent around $500 (about 16,200 baht) on gifts, but this season she plans to trim her budget to $300, eschewing most Black Friday discounts for targeted deals on specific products.

Thanksgiving falls on Nov 27 this year, giving retailers an extra day in the holiday window, which typically accounts for a third of annual profits. Retailers have launched early promotions to lock in sales: Walmart’s began on Nov 14 and will run in three phases through Dec 1, with Walmart+ members getting early access. Amazon started its Black Friday deals week last Thursday, while Macy’s has opened a dedicated Black Friday portal.