After a dismal holiday shopping season in 2008, retailers are facing a confusing set of indicators for this year. While the National Retail Federation is expecting a 16 percent increase in store traffic, an AP poll finds that 93 percent of consumers are planning to spend the same or less on gifts. What's in store for America's retail sector on the most important shopping day of the year? (Watch an MSNBC discussion of Black Friday in a down economy)
Shoppers will show up, but they might not spend: The good news for retailers is that a quarter of households plan to hit the stores Friday, says Angela Moore in MarketWatch. But “it’s going to be harder than ever to get them to part with the cash.” As jobs, home values, and stock portfolios have all dropped off a cliff this year, “consumers have become savvy bargain hunters.”
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