US bargain-hunters trample man to death

A mad scramble for bargains turned to tragedy in the US as a Wal-Mart worker was trampled to death by shoppers.

In addition, a shooting at a Toys 'R' Us branch, understood to have been a dispute between rival groups, killed two people.

The deaths at yesterday’s start of the US shopping season happened at the Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, New York, and the Toys 'R' Us outlet in Palm Desert, California.

The temporary Wal-Mart worker died after a throng of unruly shoppers broke down the doors and trampled him moments after the store opened, police said.

Nassau County police said about 2,000 people were gathered outside the store at the mall about 20 miles east of Manhattan. The impatient crowd knocked the man down as he opened the doors, leaving a metal portion of the frame crumpled.

Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store. When told to leave, they complained that they had been queuing since Thursday morning.

“This crowd was out of control,” said Nassau police spokesman Lt Michael Fleming. He described the scene as “utter chaos”.

"Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving in the US, received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability – into the black – for the full year.

But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70% throughout the month amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry could be fading.

Still, while Black Friday is not a predictor of holiday sales, it is an important barometer of people’s willingness to spend for the rest of the season. This year, industry executives are taking note of how the economy is shaping buying habits.

One significant change – and a big worry for merchants – is that an increasing number of shoppers are using cash or debit cards, instead of credit cards to pay for their purchases as they are either maxed out or just want to manage their money better.

At malls and stores crowds of shoppers frantically picked through piles of discounted merchandise.

“It was like everything we bought was already on sale and was an additional 50% off at the register,” said Lynn Mahloy of Snellville, Georgia, who arrived at Atlanta’s Lenox Square Mall just after 6am.

But she said she was slashing her holiday budget by about €1,200 from previous years to about €800 this year because of economic worries.

“I’m just buying smaller, less expensive presents,” she said.

Preliminary reports from major retailers including Macy’s, KB Toys , Best Buy and Toys “R” Us and mall operators such as Taubman Centres said the crowds were at least as large as last year’s. But analysts said Black Friday sales may not match the year-ago levels as Americans, worried about redundancies, dwindling pension funds, and tightening credit, slashed their holiday budgets, even for their own children.