CHICAGO—Bargain hunters ventured out in chilly weather to buy Christmas gifts on Black Friday, finding stores less crowded than in years past as major U.S. retailers opened their doors early. A shift online, COVID-19 fears and less-steep discounts have thinned crowds on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, which kicks off the year-end shopping season. Many shoppers are also choosing curbside pick-up rather than venturing inside. “What a lot of customers are doing is drive-up, they don’t even enter the store. I think that’s one of the reasons it looks quiet,” said Ian Korolenko, 29, a vacuum salesperson asked by Target to help out on Black Friday. “I also think a lot of these stores do their Black Friday deals earlier in the week now, and a lot of them go online now.” Macy’s is extending its digital delivery deadline closer to Christmas, Chief Executive Jeff Gennette told Reuters in …
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