A challenge (and opportunity) for retailers as Black Friday becomes less of a draw

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Given that the supplied of finished goods into the west is today as much a demand chain as a supply chain, changes in consumer spending patterns will have a significant impact on logistics service providers, and a new retail survey from Deloitte suggests that the Black Friday shopping extravaganza this month may be more of a damp squib than retailers have hitherto become accustomed. Around 75% of respondents expect to spend less this Black Friday than last year, and 41% less on ‘Cyber Monday’; while 44% said they would be spending more in December than last year. “If more shoppers wait until the last minute to buy gifts, that could create a logistics headache for the retail industry.”