Fear of Trump tariffs drive shoppers for Black Friday deals
Al Jazeera
Inflation-fatigued shoppers were looking for deals as they worried about higher prices next year on back of tariffs.
Brushing snowflakes off her hair, Teagan Hickson walked into a Walmart Supercenter in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with hopes of picking up a few holiday deals on Black Friday. The first thing the mother of two spotted: a pallet stacked high with Gourmia digital air fryer ovens for $50 each.
Her sister Jordan had been wanting one, she said, but money was tight right now for everyone in her family. She worried about expenses next year after reading posts on Facebook about price hikes if President-elect Donald Trump’s planned tariffs go into effect in January.
“I’m trying to not spend too much,” said Hickson, 43. “I don’t want to add to my credit cards, but I don’t want to pay more for stuff next year.”
As retailers reopened United States stores after the American Thanksgiving holiday, some locations drew clusters of shoppers. People were eager to see stores’ Black Friday discounts, often comparing them to rivals’ prices for similar merchandise online.
Weighing on the minds of many Americans: Should prices rise in 2025 as a result of Trump’s move to implement new tariffs on some US imports, consumers like Hickson could feel the impact at grocery stores and restaurants, potentially driving up their living costs.
