It’s the most desperate time of the year – for retailers

A woman adjusts a window display at Macy’s in Boston, Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. Black Friday once again kicked off the start of the holiday shopping season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
INTERNATIONAL – For years, consumers have been trained to sit in the comfort of their own homes and shop online. Yet when the holidays come around, the biggest stores ask them to pull on their shoes and head to the mall or a flagship store for a brick-and-mortar extravaganza. 
It’s not working anymore. Black Friday fell flat this year, failing to produce the frenzied shopping spree it was once known for (though online sales were great). Department stores have been hit particularly hard, and are getting increasingly desperate to keep foot-traffic from declining further.
Threatened by new competition and more e-commerce sales than ever, the flashiest shops in the U.S. went big on their holiday window displays, putting on extravagant celebrations and even partnering with major media franchises.

Source: iol.co.za