For many people living in the United States, the holiday season can be a time of relaxation, celebration, togetherness, and family. Preparing for the holidays usually includes the hustle and bustle of shopping for decorations and gifts. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average amount of money consumers reported they would spend on holiday shopping in 2018 was expected to be up 4.1 percent from what they approximated they would spend in 2017.  Research shows that a growing number of consumers do their holiday shopping, in person and online, during Thanksgiving weekend. Black Friday is an especially-busy shopping day. In fact, 60 percent of holiday shoppers begin browsing items and making purchases in November. Holiday shopping is something many Americans look forward to even before the holiday season officially begins. 21 percent of holiday shoppers reported that they plan to start shopping in October, and 18 percent of…

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