Business
Deal-hungry shoppers hit stores on Black Friday to kick off critical holiday season
Bustling crowds and early-morning lines were back as this year’s Black Friday weekend kicked off — a hopeful sign for retailers as they head into the critical holiday shopping season with consumers still grappling with inflation and economic uncertainty.
Shoppers plan to spend an average of $650 during the four-day consumer sprint from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, according to a Deloitte survey, up 15% from last year. Eight out of 10 people said they planned to do some sort of shopping during that stretch, when retailers try to jumpstart holiday sales with deals, the survey found.
The National Retail Federation also made encouraging projections, saying it expects as much as $989 billion in sales during the holiday shopping season, which would mark a 3.5% jump over last year’s total.
Although that would be a slower pace of growth compared with holiday shopping in previous years, NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said, “We remain optimistic about the pace of economic activity and growth projected in the second half of the year.”
“Household finances are in good shape and an impetus for strong spending heading into the holiday season, though households will spend more cautiously,” he said.
Consumers in all income groups plan to spend more than last year, but those in the highest and lowest brackets are expected to increase their spending the most, the Deloitte survey found. Shoppers who make $50,000 or less per year plan to spend $422 over the weekend, up 22% from last year, while those who earn $200,000 or more are expected to spend $1,257, up 20% from last year, according to the survey.
Spending is expected to be highest among millennials, who are also more likely than other age groups to buy gifts for themselves. They will spend around $750, according to the survey, while baby boomers will spend about $485.
Commerce’s Citadel Outlets was bustling Friday morning, with many families saying they’d been scouring the massive shopping center for hours scouting for deals.
Shoppers rest after being out for 12 hours overnight during Black Friday at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce.
(William Liang / For The Times)
“Honestly, you’ve got to come in with the mentality: It’s Black Friday,” said Gus Aguirre, a Simi Valley barber, who said his family never misses the biggest shopping day of the year. “It’s going to be busy, there are going to be lines, and people are going to be frustrated.”
He said the family tradition is more of a way to work off last night’s meal than get the best deals, which he says don’t feel all that special compared with what’s offered online.
“I feel like everybody started earlier in terms of releasing deals,” Aguirre said. “Last year was a little bit more hectic.”
By 9 a.m., he’s walked almost two miles — 5,830 steps, according to his partner’s tracker — and had the shopping bags full of Christmas gifts to show for it. He said business at his barbershop this year has been better than last, and he’s feeling less pressure to save.
Griselda Maldonado, meanwhile, came to the outlet with a hard spending cap. She and her 14-year-old daughter, Valentina, were going to stay until they spent $300.
They hit it quickly, she said, with the deals proving more lackluster than the family had hoped. Maldonado got some cosmetics and her daughter a jean skirt from Hollister. The 14-year-old said she’d been hoping for Samba shoes from Adidas, but they’d sold out by 6 a.m., when they arrived.
“We’re done,” Maldonado said. “There’s no extra money. This is it.”
Monique Carver and Gilbert McDonald said they were also feeling overwhelmed by the prices, but determined to get through some of their Christmas list — especially tiny Ugg boots for their baby granddaughter. They suspected they could get the same sort of deals during other times of the year, but shopping in person on Black Friday felt “festive.”
“I like hands-on shopping,” McDonald said. “The sales are all right.”
Big-box retailers prepare for months for the day after Thanksgiving, which for many marks the start of the holiday shopping season and serves as an indicator of consumer confidence.
High hopes about the economy, an increase in e-commerce activity and significant Black Friday participation among Gen Z and millennials will contribute to record spending this year, said Summer Taylor, a retail managing director at Deloitte. Shoppers will also have a strong focus on value, she said, and many will prioritize saving money over brand loyalty.
Rachel Stankus, right, and her mom Jane Codd shop in the Disney Outlet store on Black Friday at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce.
(William Liang / For The Times)
To prepare, major retailers have lined up discounts and offered early sales in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Walmart unveiled online deals starting Nov. 25, including $250 off a Dyson vacuum and $600 off a Sony television. Target announced discounts beginning Nov. 21, offering 50% off a variety of items including holiday decor, toys and appliances.
Consumers nationwide will spend 56% of their holiday budget between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Deloitte found. Many start spending sooner.
“For the last 10 years or more, Black Friday sales have started creeping in earlier and earlier,” said Lars Perner, a professor of clinical marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business. “It becomes an arms race to offer the big sales sooner,” he said.
Early spending may drive future spending, Perner said, which could bolster retailers trying to unload holiday-themed goods before the end of the season.
“The economy is, to a very large extent, driven by psychology,” Perner said. “When consumers do spend, that tends to spur on the economy.”
Target reported underwhelming third-quarter results this month and lowered its fourth-quarter outlook, while Walmart posted strong sales and a 27% increase in e-commerce.
“Saving money remains a top priority for our customers,” Walmart said in a statement provided to The Times. “We think we’re in a strong position to serve our customers throughout the holiday season.”
Retailers have to walk a fine line between attracting customers with discounts and maintaining healthy margins, said George Noceti, a wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley. Consumers are wary of high prices amid inflation and will shop around to seek out discounts, he said. The Deloitte survey found that 45% of shoppers reported experiencing higher prices for holiday gifts this season.
“The retailers know that they have to promote and discount,” Noceti said. “Those that do will benefit the most by having greater sales, but if they promote and discount too much, they’re going to have lower profitability.”
Crowds of people shop for Black Friday deals at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce.
(William Liang / For The Times)
Noceti said he expects Black Friday sales to be on par with or slightly above last year’s numbers. Despite data from Deloitte that show Angelenos are more optimistic about the economy than last year, the average American consumer is still operating cautiously, he said. Shoppers may be hesitant to spend because of high prices of everyday goods such as groceries and may feel unsure about the economy amid global conflict and the recent election.
“California is different from the rest of the nation,” Noceti said. “Consumer confidence isn’t sky high, and people won’t spend their whole wallet on Black Friday.”
Consumers will split their spending evenly between in-person and online purchases, according to the Deloitte survey, but online shopping is growing at a faster rate. Whereas Black Friday foot traffic is expected to remain flat year over year, online spending could rise up to 15%.
The National Retail Federation also expects online sales to climb, saying in its holiday sales report that online and other non-store sales are expected to increase between 8% and 9%.
Online-only merchants are expected to be a popular destination this Black Friday weekend, with 69% of Deloitte survey respondents planning to stay home to shop at online-only retailers. Shoppers will spend an average of $195 on online purchases through Cyber Monday.
Retailers are relying more and more on so-called omnichannel shopping, which allows customers to browse products across in-person and online platforms.
“We aim to engage our customer where they are with an omnichannel strategy that puts product storytelling at the forefront across digital, social and in store,” Gap Chief Marketing Officer Faby Torres said.
Gap’s online platform offers customers Black Friday deals of 50% off sitewide, with some exclusions.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about value,” said Stephen Rogers, a managing director at Deloitte. “This year, all income levels and age groups are looking for deals. Consumers are relying on this week to stretch their dollars.”
The luxury shopping center in Pacific Palisades will reopen next month after more than $100 million in renovations forced by the January 2025 wildfire that devastated the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Palisades Village will reopen Aug. 15, owner Rick Caruso announced Wednesday. The outdoor center survived the blaze that destroyed homes and other businesses but needed refurbishment to eliminate contaminants that the fire could have spread.
Crews are putting finishing touches on mall buildings after tearing them down to the studs, treating the wood and rebuilding the walls, Caruso said.
“Everybody’s working, and stores are moving their products in,” he said. “It’s a really cool feeling that people have really locked arms and are working together.”
An electrician installs lighting for a restaurant at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Palisades resident Allison Polhill, who is rebuilding the home of 30 years that her family lost in the blaze, said she is “thrilled” at the prospect of returning to the mall she used to frequent. Its comeback is a boost for the community, she said.
“Every single step that we make to reopen our commercial corridors is going to bring more people back into the Palisades,” said Polhill, who expects to move back into her home at the end of August.
A total of 6,822 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire, including more than 5,500 residences and 100 commercial businesses, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Caruso previously attributed the mall’s survival to the hard work of private firefighters and the fire-resistant materials used in the mall’s construction.
The $200-million shopping and dining center opened in 2018 with a movie theater and a roster of upmarket tenants, including Erewhon, which may be the only grocer in the heart of the fire-ravaged neighborhood when it opens.
Caruso’s company was able to fill the mall with tenants despite the long shutdown.
Palisades Village is 99% leased, with the majority of tenants returning, said Jackie Levy, chief financial and revenue officer. Nearly one-third of the shops and restaurants are new to the property.
A firefighter carries a hose back to his rig while walking through a destroyed home from the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Last year, Pacific Palisades-based fashion designer Elyse Walker said she would reopen her eponymous store in Palisades Village after losing her 25-year flagship location on Antioch Street to the inferno.
Other neighborhood shops destroyed in the fire that are reopening at the mall include K Bakery and Loomey’s Toys, which caters to children up to age 12 and used to be across the street from Palisades Elementary Charter School.
“It’s been a journey and I’m excited because I wasn’t sure that there was going to be a place to come back to,” said toy store owner Amanda Rastegar. “Hopefully we can bring some of that magic back.”
Rastegar’s home in the Palisades survived but was damaged by the fire. The family returned about eight weeks ago. Her last memory of the fire was a burning supermarket.
“I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what was happening,” she said. “By the time I left, Gelson’s was on fire.”
Among the returning tenants is Angelini Ristorante & Bar. Well-known Los Angeles chef Gino Angelini said he will be in the kitchen next month for a return of the Italian restaurant.
“We won’t do a big celebrity open,” he said. “We want to have a very soft opening and see our customers come back.”
Construction takes place at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
An elaborate celebration would not feel “correct for me,” Angelini said, because the devastation has been “very sad” for so many.
Other new tenants include local chef Nancy Silverton, who has agreed to move in with a new Italian steakhouse called Spacca Tutto. Women’s activewear retailer LESET will open its first West Coast location.
Caruso said he is optimistic that customers will return to the center, even though many Pacific Palisades residents are still dispersed. One tracking system estimated that about 30% of the Village’s customer base was impacted by the fire, he said.
“That means 70% did not get impacted, so there’s a lot of customers still left out there,” Caruso said. Historically, the center drew customers from as far away as Beverly Hills and Calabasas, as well as Malibu, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
He also hopes many will be inspired to visit the revived mall.
“I believe in the goodness of people and I believe that people are going to want to support the Palisades,” he said. “They’re going to want to be there and support the businesses that have had the courage and the heart to reopen.”
Walmart is rapidly expanding its network of electric vehicle chargers designed for customers to use while they shop.
The network could help fill gaps in EV infrastructure in states with greater need for chargers. Walmart, which has more than 5,000 locations in the U.S. and hundreds in California, says more than 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one of its stores.
The chargers also offer an incentive for customers to choose Walmart — Walmart Plus members will receive a 10% discount off an average price of $0.46 per kilowatt-hour of energy at the company’s chargers.
Walmart chargers are already available at more than 75 locations in 17 states, with Texas boasting the most charging stations, followed by Florida and Arizona.
Matthew Nelson, Walmart’s director of energy policy, said last week on LinkedIn that the network will soon reach 29 states, including California.
“We are delivering on the promise of affordable, reliable and convenient charging,” Nelson said in his post.
According to Walmart’s website, six charging stations are coming to California soon, though the company did not offer a specific timeline.
The chargers will be installed at stores in Antelope, Brea, Fresno, Stockton, Suisun City and Vallejo.
Most charging sites in California will include eight to 16 fast-charging stalls, said Walmart spokesperson Kelsey Bohl.
The company first announced plans in April 2023 to install its own EV chargers at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, with a goal of installing thousands of chargers by 2030. Partnering with ABB E-Mobility and Alpitronic, it added 25 new charging sites this past May and six more in June.
“Walmart is building a leading retail-integrated EV fast-charging network, focused on delivering an affordable, reliable and convenient charging experience where customers already shop,” Bohl said in an emailed statement. “Customers can charge while they shop, access stations through the Walmart app they already use, and benefit from affordable pricing.”
The charging stations already available include 612 individual charging stalls using 400-kilowatt chargers. Each stall has a dual charging cord with both Combined Charging System and North American Charging Standard connectors. The standard connectors, designed by Tesla, are smaller and lighter than the combined systems.
The primary way to pay for the chargers is through the Walmart app, but the company is also experimenting with built-in credit card readers to allow those without the app to use the stations.
Customers can check charger availability on the Walmart app. The company said the chargers will be available 24 hours a day.
Robotaxis could be turning into robocops.
A self-driving Waymo reported two teens to San Mateo, Calif., police on Monday after they were found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns in the back of the vehicle.
According to a social media post from the San Mateo Police Department, officers detained two 15-year-olds after the Waymo they were riding in contacted the department and stopped in a parking lot until law enforcement arrived.
“Parents do you know where your teens are?” the San Mateo Police Department wrote on Facebook following the incident. “Waymo does!”
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determined they were using toy guns to shoot Orbeez out the windows. Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beads sold at toy stores.
“Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye,” the Police Department said. “The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby].” “
A video posted on Facebook shows at least five officers and a police dog responding to the scene and approaching the Waymo with their weapons raised.
Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Waymo vehicles have internal cameras and microphones that may be used in an emergency or to “promote safety and security,” according to Waymo’s online support page.
The cameras are also used to ensure the vehicles are clean and to help find lost items, according to the support page.
The company said it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify individuals.
“In more urgent circumstances, support may access live video during a trip,” the Waymo page said.
The San Mateo Police Department’s Facebook post has garnered nearly 60 comments, with one user accusing Waymo of “snitching.”
“At least they got a designated driver?!” one user commented.
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