Black Friday shoppers flocked to stores hoping to get more bags for their money while battling inflation, tariffs and anxiety about the health of the economy.
The Citadel Outlets in City of Commerce was packed Friday morning with long waits for parking and winding lines in front of stores as shoppers tried to score good deals. Camila Romero and her 13-year-old daughter spent hours in line trying to get the best deals possible on Ugg and Coach items on their wish lists.
“You come to Citadel because there are outlet stores and also discounts,” he said. “So even when you're broke, you don't feel it.”
Shoppers across the Los Angeles area plan to spend less this holiday season, data shows. Even as retailers advance their biggest sales and prepare for what they expect to be strong demand, a Deloitte survey found that Los Angeles-area consumers plan to spend 14% less during the holidays compared to last year.
Nationally, shoppers are expected to spend 10% less than last year.
Consumers are reducing spending in response to economic uncertainty and rising prices, said Rebecca Lohrey, a partner at Deloitte with experience in retail and e-commerce.
“There is at least a perception of higher prices and higher costs of goods,” Lohrey said. “That's a concern for consumers in general and it's one of the reasons they're tightening their wallets a little bit.”
The survey found that 62% of buyers in the Los Angeles area expect the economy to weaken in the next year, up from 34% in 2024. About the same percentage of respondents said they are worried about a possible recession in the next six months.
Across all income groups, consumers are making trade-offs to cut costs and putting more emphasis on finding the best deal, the data showed. More than half of Los Angeles-area respondents said they would switch brands if their first choice was too expensive.
“It tends to be the low- and middle-income groups that are most likely to decline,” said Collin Colburn, vice president of retail media and commerce at the Interactive Advertising Bureau. “This year, actually, everyone is going down in price.”
Shoppers walk through Citadel Outlets on November 28, 2025 in City of Commerce.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Camryn Smith and her daughter showed up to snoop around for deals at Americana at Brand in Glendale early Friday morning. The discounts help reduce some of the effect of inflation, he said.
“The prices are higher and they just bring them down to what they normally would be,” Smith said. “It's crazy.”
Consumers are tired of continued inflation and instability caused by the Trump administration. According to the Deloitte survey, more shoppers are re-gifting or considering homemade gifts.
“We've been in an environment where prices continue to rise for a number of reasons, inflation being one and tariffs being another,” Colburn said. “I think when that happens year after year, it really hurts the consumer.”
This means more shoppers are looking for ways to save on purchases (and gifts) they can't put off.
The National Retail Federation predicts that a record number of Americans will shop on sale over the Thanksgiving weekend. Retail sales in November and December are expected to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% compared to last year, the federation said.
Cautious consumers are more eager than ever to find a good deal, said Mark Mathews, NRF's chief economist.
“People are changing the way they spend,” he said. “They're focusing more on getting value for their dollar and getting value for the dollar.”
Even shoppers who spend more than usual may do so out of concern, economists say. Consumers who anticipate inflation sometimes spend now for fear that prices will rise later.
Brooklyn Farmer challenged the crowd at the Citadel to shop and try to save amid inflation.
“People are struggling right now, but the holidays are still important to them,” he said. “The idea is that if there are going to be discounts like this, I'd better go while I can, rather than spend more later.”
Of those surveyed by Deloitte in the Los Angeles area, 43% said they planned to spend most of their Christmas budget at big-box retailers and 32% said they would spend more at digital retailers.
Shoppers are using new tools to help them find products and deals, including artificial intelligence. Data collected by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that AI now ranks as the second most influential shopping source, ahead of retailers' websites and apps and behind only search engines.
Nearly 90% of shoppers nationwide said AI helps them find products they otherwise wouldn't have found, according to data from the bureau.
Mattel, the El Segundo-based toy company, is offering up to 50% off at Target on Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls and Disney Princess toys, company spokeswoman Kelly Powers said.
“Mattel is working closely with retailers across the country on Black Friday deals,” Powers said.
In May, Mattel said it was considering raising its prices to offset the effect of President Trump's tariffs on China.
However, in the October earnings conference call, the company said the full effect of the tariffs won't be seen until the fourth quarter.
Discount retailers that rely heavily on foot traffic have given mixed signals about their businesses.
Walmart recently raised its sales forecast for the year after reporting a 6% year-over-year increase in revenue in the third quarter.
Target, on the other hand, missed analyst expectations and reported a 1.5% drop in sales in the third quarter. On a call with analysts this month, Target CEO Brian Cornell said the company “has not been performing up to its potential.”
Of course, for many shoppers on Friday, the pilgrimage to splurge at the local mall was about more than just saving.
Ericka Pentasuglia took her daughter to Americana at Brand around 3 a.m. to be first in line for a pop-up shop selling Billie Eilish perfume. She thought it was important for her to pass on the tradition of Black Friday shopping.
“I feel like he's dying a little bit,” Pentasuglia said. “The best thing is that a tradition is not lost, it continues for your children.”
