Holiday shopping has changed due to online stores, but U.S. retailers still rely on bricks and mortar foot traffic

Nov. 28, 2025

U.S. retailers are watching in-store sales as shoppers begin the traditional holiday season the day after Thanksgiving. Whilst online stores have siphoned away non-digital sales, economists weigh whether consumer spending can support growth in the retail sector.

Further Reading :

• How Black Friday became a retail letdown: ‘To sustain the ride, they started to dilute it’ [CNBC]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — Black Friday has long been defined by massive crowds, rock-bottom prices and rabid consumers willing to bite, scratch and claw their way to the best deals of the season. But these days, retail’s biggest holiday looks a bit different.
• Black Friday consumers go online, rather than stand in line [Reuters]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — Bargain-hunting Americans clicked their way through Thanksgiving, spending 5% more than last year, as more consumers turned to laptops and phones instead of braving brisk weather to snap up deals over the crucial Black Friday shopping weekend.
• U.S. retailers are about to see if shoppers are willing to spend on Black Friday [The Associated Press via PBS]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — Black Friday no longer tempts people to leave Thanksgiving tables for midnight mall runs, but the annual sales event still brings more shoppers into stores than any day of the year and still rules as the U.S. retail industry’s unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.

Key Words :

• AMAZON.COM
• Adobe Analytics
• MACY'S
• Nike
• Target Corporation
• Walmart