Things To Do In SW Florida

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks gave back some of last week’s rally, as bitcoin fell again on Monday.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% and broke a five-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 427 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite dipped 0.4%.

Last week’s rally was largely due to rising hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate next week to help shore up the slowing job market. Such hopes are still high, with traders betting on a roughly 85% chance the Fed will cut at its next meeting, according to data from CME Group.

But yields for longer-term Treasurys nevertheless rose in the bond market Monday. It was part of a worldwide climb for yields after the head of the Bank of Japan hinted at a possible hike to interest rates there.

Related Articles

SpaceX gets OK to build up Starship pads at Canaveral site

Here’s why everyone’s talking about a ‘K-shaped’ economy

Thanksgiving debt regrets: How to recover if you overspend read more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

NEW YORK (AP) — Deals promoted as some of the best of the holiday season are expected to keep people across the United States glued to their computers and smartphones as the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon wraps up on Cyber Monday.

It’s no secret that buying things online is now a staple of many people’s everyday routines. And year after year, those purchases mount during the gift-giving holiday rush. Experts expect consumers to drive record Cyber Monday spending this year, even amid wider economic uncertainty.

Adobe Analytics has estimated that U.S. shoppers will spend $14.2 billion online Monday, or 6.3% more than in 2024. They already spent $11.8 billion online for Black Friday and another $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving Day, exceeding Adobe’s forecasts.

Consumer spending for Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.

“Cyber Week is off to a strong start,” Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, said. “Discounts are set to remain elevated through Cyber Monday, which we expect will remain the biggest online shopping day of the season and year.” read more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

NEW YORK (AP) — Despite wider economic uncertainty hovering above this year’s holiday season, shoppers turned out in big numbers for Black Friday — spending billions of dollars both in stores and online.

Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce, said U.S. consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online Friday, marking a 9.1% jump from last year. Traffic particularly piled up between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time nationwide, when $12.5 million passed through online shopping carts every minute.

Consumers also spent a record $6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, per Adobe. Top categories that saw an uptick in sales across both days included video game consoles, electronics and home appliances. Shopping services powered by artificial intelligence and social media advertising have also particularly influenced what consumers choose to buy, the firm said.

Meanwhile, software company Salesforce — which tracks digital spending from a range of retailers, including grocers — estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $18 billion in the U.S. and $79 billion globally. And e-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $6.2 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $5.1 million per minute — with top categories including cosmetics and clothing, according to the Canadian company. read more

As Americans feel their wallets tighten this Black Friday, Orlando’s small businesses are counting on the loyalty of customers in their community to ensure steady business.

Sarah Johnson-Markve is the owner of the Good Crowd gift shop along Edgewater Drive in College Park. She said while financial conditions have made the past few years tough for retail, but  so far this year’s holiday shopping season feels the same in sales as last year’s.

Photos capture enduring enthusiasm for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year

She credits that to the community she has built around the shop since she opened it in 2019.

“They want to shop small. Sure, they might need to go get some electronics at a big box store,” she said. “But what they are really looking for is how to support small businesses on Black Friday as well.”

Robyn Bertram, who was at the Good Crowd Friday afternoon to buy gifts for her friends, agreed with the sentiment, although she said there are many who are not in the financial position to do the same. read more

By Jaewon Kang, Bloomberg News

This Black Friday, one class of retailers has figured out the trick of luring shoppers suffering through frigid temperatures and high inflation: teen brands.

Related Articles

• 
  Lawsuit: Meta allowed sex-trafficking posts on Instagram as it put profit over kids’ safety

• 
  Airlines adopt software fix for Airbus A320 after plane has sudden altitude drop

• 
  Spirit, Frontier offer steep air travel discounts in Black Friday dogfight

• 
  Snapchat is nearing 1 billion monthly users. Why can’t it turn a profit?

• 
  Boar’s Head among cheese brands in listeria recall from Walmart, Target, others

To tempt picky Americans, they are offering sales on products like perfume, body wash and sweatshirts. It’s seemingly paying off: The most crowded stores Friday in cities across the U.S. belonged to brands including Edikted, Kendra Scott, and Bath & Body Works.

Other mall retailers saw thin crowds and disappointed shoppers, who were expecting bigger discounts at higher-end brands like Ralph Lauren and Coach. read more