Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy that attracts throngs of bargain hunters to stores, faces a paradox this year: record crowds are expected, but consumers' appetite to spend has dropped sharply.
As investors monitor crowd sizes at stores on Black Friday they will be shopping for a different kind of holiday deal: retailers that do well in a mixed economy characterized by high prices and limited shopping budgets.
Retailers in the U.S. are gearing up for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which kicks off the holiday shopping season that typically account for a third of U.S. retailers' annual profits.