NEW YORK, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Black Friday remains a popular day for Americans to shop for holiday gifts. Based on survey results, the National Retail Federation projected that 132 million people will go shopping that day, and almost two-thirds of them will do so in stores.
The preference for in-person shopping on Black Friday is a shift from last year, when the National Retail Federation estimated that 76.2 million people shopped in person and 90.6 million made purchases online, reported The Los Angeles Times on the change.
However, the report said, consumers who prefer to ditch the hustle and bustle in stores by looking for promotions and discounts online should be aware of retailer tricks meant to pressure shoppers into making a purchase, online scams, and porch thieves who are hoping to steal packages from your front door.
"Retailers and advertisers are using tactics including adding the words 'low stock' and 'in 10 people's carts' to products in order to pressure consumers into making purchases," noted the report. "Some online deals might seem too good to be true, and experts say that's because they are. Scammers are creating fake websites posing as luxury and popular brands. Porch pirates are stealing delivered packages."
Target, Amazon and JCPenny were among the large retailers that released their promotions a week ahead of Thanksgiving, while Walmart and others dropped their deals on Monday. ■
