Black Friday in the US: Long queues, prices hit by inflation and record sales expectations

The holiday season begins on Thanksgiving, and the shopping season begins on Black Friday. All economic forecasts indicate that this is a record sales season. Between November and December 2021, Americans spent 858 billion dollarsAccording to the National Retail Federation (NRF for its abbreviation in English). This means an increase 10,5% compared to what was spent in the same period last year. in the middle, $785 will be spent on gifts for each family this holiday season.

The increase in sales, according to experts, is due to the fact that Americans started holiday shopping earlier this year. As early as August, according to the NSF. However, there are traditions that do not change and The day when the most number of shoppers roam the streets is still the last Friday in November, otherwise known as Black Friday.

But in 2021 in particular, The cuts won’t be as amazing as in other years. For starters, there is a file standard inflation In the country resulting in high prices for absolutely everything. But also, in the post-pandemic world (if such a thing exists), this year ends It was less profitable for merchants, and more expensive, discouraging them from reducing products.

What is known as the great abandonment? (American workers have left their jobs in unprecedented numbers), Doing this to retain employees or to find new talent, Companies are forced to increase the salaries they offer, which leads to an increase in cost.

Factory closures during the pandemic and a shortage of truck drivers, combined with the problem at California’s ports, have also increased costs for businesses. For example, a famous clothing brand Gap announced that it will spend $450 million this year on air freight, for not being able to trust other means of transportation. In addition, problems in the distribution chain caused a loss of $650 million in sales of the clothing brand, according to what was just reported.

But 2021 has another peculiarity. Despite consumer confidence at a 10-year low, according to a University of Michigan study, consumers continue to spend.

After the year 2020, which was the lowest Black Friday in the last 20 years, This year, companies decided to extend the offers beyond Friday. From the beginning of the week and during the weekend, you can take advantage of discounts.

But for the vast majority in the country today there is no business, and in huge quantities they will profit from it by purchasing. Between five and seven in the morning they opened most of the shops across the country. By that time, there were already long queues at major stores like Best Buy or Walmart, with shoppers mostly looking for devices.

In cities like Miami, where the weather is fine, there have been reports Lines up to 100 people Outside the big stores. Queues for parking at malls such as Dolphin Mall or Sawgrass Mills can take more than an hour.

For many, Black Friday is beyond opportunities, which can also be found online, but it is a file Tradition and enjoyment of standing in line And meet other shopping lovers.

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