Retailers bank on Black Friday to energize bargain-hungry holiday shoppers

Retailers in the United States and some other countries have spent weeks pushing early holiday deals, but they are trying to seduce customers with promises of bigger discounts on Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving still reigns as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. In the U.S., analysts envision solid sales, though perhaps not as robust as last year’s. Despite the easing of inflation, many shoppers are being cautious with their discretionary spending, according to analysts. Retailers are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.