STEVE INSKEEP, Host: NPR's business news starts with the Black Friday discounts. This is the traditional kickoff of the Christmas shopping season. The slow economy has retailers offering big price cuts right at the start. One longtime analyst says he's seeing discounts of 75 percent in some places, and that's something he's never seen in November. Most analysts expect a drop in overall sales this holiday season.
The slow economy has retailers offering big price cuts. One longtime analyst says he's seeing discounts of 75 percent, which is something he's never seen in November. For some merchants, November and December account for up to half of the year's sales. Most analysts expect a drop in overall sales this holiday season.