NEW YORK—As the city gears up for the holiday shopping season, experts predict an uptick in spending will reflect the recovering economy. The rise in spending also marks a shift toward online shopping and an earlier “Black Thursday,” which might intrude on the family tradition of Thanksgiving.
Amidst all these trends, the Best Buy on 44th St. and Fifth Ave. is surprisingly unobstructed from view: the long lines of early Black Friday bargain hounds are missing.
One employee commented that this year, for an unknown reason, the line hasn’t formed yet, while in past years, people would have been lined up around the door. The change has left workers scratching their heads.
Some explained that they find squeezing in with crowds to be too much of a hassle.
“If we’re looking for clothing, we can go to an outlet” to save, said Luna Feng, 19, a college sophomore visiting from Philadelphia. “I don’t like waiting for deals.”
Heath Hinson, 40, of Nassau County, Long Island, doesn’t believe there’s any deal to be found in the Black Friday weekend. Retailers are trying to sell the last of the old technology before the updates are shipped in, he said while in a Best Buy store in Midtown Manhattan.
