Economics Daily

Decoding Black Friday for Clues on the American Consumer

Shoppers were underwhelmed by the promotions, but they were still out spending.
Shoppers inside the Serramonte Mall on Black Friday in Daly City, California, on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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I’m Cécile Daurat , a senior editor in Wilmington, Delaware. Today we’re looking at the American consumer. Send us feedback and tips to ecodaily@bloomberg.net . And if you aren’t yet signed up to receive this newsletter, you can do so here .

In the absence of up-to-date official economic data thanks to the recent US government shutdown, anecdotal reports from consumers and business have taken a newfound importance.