Retail stores are feeling the heat as many shoppers plan to do most of their holiday shopping online. Alyssa Julya Smith ventured out to Kohl's in Los Angeles on Black Friday to check out what's going on in retail outlets. She found that, at least in the morning, not a lot of shoppers turned out for the doorbusters and in-store deals. In fact, 59 percent of U.S. shoppers say they plan to shop online this year instead of fighting crowds at the stores. U.S. shoppers spent more than $1.52 billion online by 5 pm ET on Thanksgiving evening, which is up nearly 17 percent from a year ago. A lot of the slowdown in Black Friday shopping has to do with the "Amazon effect," which also has a lot of brick-and-mortar stores fighting to keep up. Big stores like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohls made their big deals available online, and well before Thanksgiving day, so many people are opting to shop from the comfort of their own home.

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Small grocers and convenience stores feel an impact as customers go without SNAP benefits
Some small grocery stores and neighborhood convenience stores are eager for the U.S. government shutdown to end and for their customers to start receiving federal food aid again. Late last month, the Trump administration froze funding for the SNAP benefits that about 42 million Americans use to buy groceries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 74% of the assistance was spent last year at superstores like Walmart and supermarkets like Kroger. Around 14% went to smaller stores that are more accessible to SNAP beneficiaries. A former director of the United Nations World Food Program says SNAP is not only a social safety net for families but a local economic engine that supports neighborhood businesses.
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