Retailers offer big deals for Black Friday but will shoppers spend?

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Expect big discounts and other enticements to lure shoppers to stores for Black Friday. But retailers worry those may not be enough. Consumers are coming under pressure as their savings dwindle and their credit card debt grows. And although they have gotten some relief from easing inflation, many goods and services like meat and rent are still far higher than they were just three years ago. The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, expects shoppers will spend more this year than last year, but their pace will slow given all the economic uncertainty. The group has forecast that U.S. holiday sales will rise 3% to 4% for November through December, compared with a 5.4% growth of a year ago.