A record 183.4 million people are planning to shop in stores and online between Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday in 2024. Black Friday is on Nov. 28.

After weeks of plugging increasingly inviting discounts, retailers in the United States and several other countries are preparing for prime time

So how do small retailers fare in a market where one company alone - Amazon - must take on an extra 2,000 staff across the north-west of England just to deal with demand? Afflecks retailer Megan Price says small independent sellers see a dip in trade as they "just cannot compete".

Some businesses roll out discounts starting in early November, but many save the best deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Lining up early outside stores and hunting for deals was once part of a gratifying Black Friday. It no longer feels that way.

The weather may be cold, but Black Friday deals are hot. It wasn't hard to see shoppers braving the elements, who say it's all worth saving some cold hard cash. It brought Crystal Rands and her children all the way from Pine Island to the doorsteps of Mall of America.