NEW YORK (AP) — While Black Friday will mark a return to familiar holiday shopping patterns, uncertainty still remains.
The U.S. job market remains strong, consumer spending is resilient and inflation has been slowing. But elevated prices for food, rent, gasoline and other household costs have taken a toll on shoppers.
kAmpD 2 C6DF=E[ >2?J 2C6 C6=F4E2?E E@ DA6?5 F?=6DD E96C6 😀 2 3:8 D2=6 2?5 2C6 36:?8 >@C6 D6=64E:G6 H:E9 H92E E96J H:== 3FJ — 😕 >2?J 42D6D[ EC25:?8 5@H? E@ 4962A6C DEF77 2?5 =6DD 6IA6?D:G6 DE@C6D]k^Am
kAm$9@AA6CD 2C6 2=D@ 5:AA:?8 >@C6 :?E@ E96:C D2G:?8D[ EFC?:?8 :?4C62D:?8=J E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:?7=2E:@?\E649?@=@8J\64@?@>J\“b7b74be2e27h6e5h54h`h22aa42afeQm“3FJ ?@H[ A2J =2E6C”k^2m D6CG:46D =:<6 p7E6CA2J E92E 2==@H FD6CD E@ A2J 7@C :E6>D 😕 :?DE2==>6?ED[ 2D H6== 2D CF??:?8 FA E96:C 4C65:E 42C5D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? E96 u656C2= #6D6CG6 😀 9:<:?8 C2E6D E@ 4@@= E96 &]$] 64@?@>J]k^Am
kAm$F49 7:?2?4:2= 92C5D9:AD 4@F=5 96=A 5C:G6 D9@AA6CD E@ =@@< 7@C 32C82:?D]k^Am
kAmxD6=2 s2=6?4:2[ H9@ H2D D9@AA:?8 7@C 9@FD69@=5 6DD6?E:2=D =:<6 56E6C86?E 2E 2 (2=>2CE 😕 $642F4FD[ }6H y6CD6J[ 62C=:6C E9:D H66<[ D2:5 D96VD 56=2J:?8 3FJ:?8 9@=:52J 8:7ED F?E:= rJ36C |@?52J — E96 |@?52J 27E6C %92?<D8:G:?8 — H96? @?=:?6 D2=6D C6G FA] %96?[ D96 H:== H2:E 282:? F?E:= E96 H66< 367@C6 r9C:DE>2D E@ 86E E96 36DE 562=D[ F?=:<6 =2DE J62C H96? D96 DE2CE65 3FJ:?8 367@C6 q=24< uC:52J]k^Am
kAm“x 2> D9@AA:?8 =6DD[” s2=6?4:2 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 D96 H:== DA6?5 23@FE Sf__ 7@C 9@=:52J 8:7ED E9:D J62C[ @?6\E9:C5 =6DD E92? =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAmz2E:6 {6249[ 2 D@4:2= H@C<6C 😕 |2?92EE2?[ H2D 2=D@ 3C@HD:?8 E96 2:D=6D 2E (2=>2CE 3FE D2:5 D96 H:== DE2CE 9@=:52J D9@AA:?8 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE H66< @7 s646>36C 2D FDF2=] %9:D E:>6[ 9@H6G6C[ D96V== 36 C6=J:?8 >@C6 @? 32C82:?D[ 96C 4C65:E 42C5 2?5 “3FJ ?@H[ A2J =2E6C” D6CG:46D E@ 86E 96C E9C@F89 E96 D9@AA:?8 D62D@? 3642FD6 @7 DFC8:?8 AC:46D @? 7@@5 2?5 @E96C 9@FD69@=5 6IA6?D6D]k^Am
kAm“%96 >@?6J 😀 ?@E 8@:?8 2D 72C 2D =2DE J62C[Q {6249 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62CVD EC6?5D 2C6 2 4@?EC2DE 7C@> 2 J62C 28@ H96? 4@?DF>6CD H6C6 3FJ:?8 62C=J @FE @7 762C @7 ?@E 86EE:?8 H92E E96J ?66565 2>:5 4=@8D 😕 E96 DFAA=J ?6EH@C<] $E@C6D 5:5?VE 92G6 E@ 5:D4@F?E >F49 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 DECF88=:?8 E@ 3C:?8 😕 :E6>D]k^Am
kAmqFE D@>6 A2?56>:4 923:ED 2C6 DE:4<:?8 2C@F?5] |2?J C6E2:=6CD E92E 4=@D65 DE@C6D @? %92?<D8:G:?8 s2J 2?5 :?DE625 AFD965 5:D4@F?ED @? E96:C H63D:E6D E@ E9:? @FE 4C@H5D 2E DE@C6D 2C6 DE:== 9@=5:?8 @?E@ E9@D6 DEC2E68:6D[ 56DA:E6 2 C6EFC? E@ ?@C>2=4J]k^Am
kAm|2;@C C6E2:=6CD :?4=F5:?8 (2=>2CE 2?5 %2C86E 2C6 282:? 4=@D:?8 E96:C DE@C6D @? %92?<D8:G:?8] p?5 >2?J >@G65 2H2J 7C@> 5@@C3FDE6CD[ E96 566A=J >2C<65 5@H? :E6>D @776C65 7@C 2 =:>:E65 E:>6 E92E 5C6H 4C@H5D] x?DE625[ E96 5:D4@F?E65 :E6>D 2C6 2G2:=23=6 E9C@F89@FE E96 >@?E9[ @? q=24< uC:52J @C E96 9@=:52J H66<6?5]k^Am
kAmp82:?DE E@52JVD 64@?@>:4 324<5C@A[ E96 }2E:@?2= #6E2:= u656C2E:@? — E96 =2C86DE C6E2:= EC256 8C@FA — 6IA64ED 9@=:52J D2=6D 8C@HE9 H:== D=@H E@ 2 C2?86 @7 eT E@ gT[ 7C@> E96 3=:DE6C:?8 `b]dT 8C@HE9 @7 2 J62C 28@] w@H6G6C[ E96D6 7:8FC6D[ H9:49 :?4=F56 @?=:?6 DA6?5:?8[ 2C6?VE 25;FDE65 7@C :?7=2E:@? D@ C62= DA6?5:?8 4@F=5 6G6? 36 5@H? 7C@> 2 J62C 28@]k^Am
kAmp5@36 p?2=JE:4D 6IA64ED @?=:?6 D2=6D E@ 36 FA a]dT 7C@> }@G] ` E9C@F89 s64] b`[ 2 D=@H5@H? 7C@> =2DE J62CVD g]eT A246 H96? D9@AA6CD H6C6 F?46CE2:? 23@FE C6EFC?:?8 E@ A9JD:42= DE@C6D]k^Am
kAmp?2=JDED 4@?D:56C E96 7:G6\52J q=24< uC:52J H66<6?5[ H9:49 :?4=F56D rJ36C |@?52J[ 2 <6J 32C@>6E6C @7 D9@AA6CDV H:==:?8?6DD E@ DA6?5[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E9:D J62C] %96 EH@\>@?E9 A6C:@5 36EH66? %92?<D8:G:?8 2?5 r9C:DE>2D C6AC6D6?ED 23@FE a_T @7 E96 C6E2:= :?5FDECJ’D 2??F2= D2=6D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 q=24< uC:52J DE:== 92D 2 DEC@?8 A=246 😕 E96 &]$] 2>@?8 D9@AA6CD[ :E 92D =@DE DE2EFC6 @G6C E96 =2DE 564256 2D DE@C6D @A6?65 @? %92?<D8:G:?8 2?5 D9@AA:?8 D9:7E65 E@ p>2K@? 2?5 @E96C @?=:?6 C6E2:=6CD] $E@C6D 92G6 7FCE96C 5:=FE65 E96 52J’D DE2EFD 3J AC@>@E:?8 q=24< uC:52J D2=6D E9C@F89@FE E96 >@?E9] %9:D J62C[ DE@C6D 3682? D2=6D 62C=:6C E92? =2DE J62C E@ 86E D9@AA6CD E@ DAC625 @FE E96:C 3FJ:?8]k^Am
kAm!=6?EJ @7 D9@AA6CD =:<6 {@=:E2 r@C56C@ 7C@> qC@@<=J?[ }6H *@C<[ 2C6 D:EE:?8 @FE q=24< uC:52J]k^Am
kAm“x’> D9@AA:?8 62C=J[ ECJ:?8 E@ 86E E9:?8D @? D2=6[ 5:D4@F?E[ @C 4=62C2?46 – 2?5 x FD6 4@FA@?D[” r@C56C@ D2:5] “x ?6G6C 5:5 q=24< uC:52J] x 962C :E’D 2 >6DD[ 2?5 A6@A=6 86E 9FCE]”k^Am
kAm$E:==[ D@>6 6IA6CED 36=:6G6 q=24< uC:52J H:== 282:? 36 E96 3FD:6DE D9@AA:?8 52J E9:D J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $6?D@C>2E:4[ H9:49 EC24<D 4FDE@>6C EC277:4] r@?DF>6CD 2C6 2=D@ 324< E@ D9@AA:?8 2E A9JD:42= DE@C6D 2>:5 62D:?8 H@CC:6D 23@FE r~’xs\`h] x? 724E[ >@C6 DE@C6D @A6?65 E92? 4=@D65 😕 E96 &]$] =2DE J62C 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 a_`e — 2?5 E92E 82A 😀 @?=J H:56?:?8 E9:D J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r@C6D:89E #6D62C49[ 2 C6E2:= 25G:D@CJ 2?5 C6D62C49 7:C>]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! !6CD@?2= u:?2?46 (C:E6C r@C2 {6H:D 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmu@==@H p??6 sUCDBF@jx??@46?K:@i k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^psx??@46?K:@Qm9EEAi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^psx??@46?K:@k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
