Nation Of Spenders Learns Pain Of Thrift

We are a society of shoppers. We have been since we were prehistoric hunters and gatherers. From the souks of the Middle East to the night markets of Asia to the malls of America, human beings come together to browse, bargain and purchase. Shopping isn’t just about the acquisition of goods — whether the season’s hot toy or some sharp tool necessary for surviving the winter — it’s also about how we interact with each other. For better or worse, the holidays have long been synonymous with shopping. And that has come to mean Black Friday, the start of the shopping sprint between Thanksgiving and Christmas and historically one of the busiest shopping days of the year. November retail sales reports are due out today.