Early spending data beats expectations

As another holiday season kicked off on Black Friday, finding the perfect gift is top of mind for many. But how much will weary American consumers be willing to spend this year? Based on early data … it’s a lot! Marketplace’s Kristin Schwab joins Kimberly to explain why the K-shaped economy may explain the contradiction and why AI is making its way into Americans’ shopping habits. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s what we talked about on the show today:

• ”September retail sales fail to impress” from Marketplace
• ”Black Friday, Cyber Monday spending expected to top records” from Marketplace
• ”Black Friday Sales Spike Despite Economic Uncertainty, Study Shows—Here’s Why” from Forbes
• “‘Tis the season for credit card debt” from Marketplace
• ”How are retailers benefiting from the "buy now, pay later" boom?” from Marketplace
• ”What is your Spotify listening age?” from Marketplace
• ”More than 8 in 10 Americans are more likely to purchase secondhand gifts this year” from Retail Brew
• ”Target Launches New AI-Powered Features to Make Holiday Shopping Easier, Smarter and More Fun” from PR Newswire

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