黑色星期五和网络星期一开启购物季

Black Friday, Cyber Monday Start Holiday Shopping Season 黑色星期五和网络星期一开启购物季

America’s holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is the busiest shopping day of the year.

Retailers³ make the most money this time of year, about 20 percent to 30 percent of all revenue all year. The National Retail¹ Federation⁴ (NRF) says about 136 million people will shop during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.    

More and more will shop online. In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. Nearly 80 percent of this year’s holiday shoppers, or about 183.8 million people, will shop on Cyber Monday, says the NRF.

More than half of all holiday purchases will be made online, they say. One-in-five Americans will use a tablet or smartphone.   

Pam Goodfellow is an analyst⁵ at Prosper⁶ Funding LLC. It is an online lender. “Given how shoppers today overall gravitate towards all things digital, there’s a high likelihood online shopping will be bigger than ever over the holiday weekend and on Cyber Monday,” she told the NRF.

Online spending on Black Friday will rise 15 percent to hit $2.7 billion this year. Cyber Monday spending will increase 12 percent to $3 billion, says Adobe⁷ Systems Inc.  

NBC News reported that for many, shopping online was “a more comfortable alternative” than crowded malls. 

The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on “brick and mortar⁸” shopping malls. Since 2010, more than 24 shopping malls have closed and an additional 60 are struggling, according to Green Street Advisors⁹. It tracks the mall industry.

However, Fortune says the weakest of the malls have closed. The sector¹⁰ is thriving again, it says. The International Council of Shopping Centers said 94.2 percent of malls were full, or occupied, with shops by the end of 2014. That is the highest level in 27 years.

Economist¹¹ Gus Faucher said lower unemployment and rising wages could give Americans more money to spend.

According to the NRF, the average American consumer will spend about $805 on gifts. That’s about $630.5 billion between November and December – an increase of 3.7 percent from last year.

Nonetheless, Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day in the world. That distinction goes to China’s Singles’ Day, celebrated¹² November 11, which posted record sales of $14.3 billion this year.

Words in This Story

retailer² – n. a person or business that sells things directly to customers for their own use

instant – adj.  happening or done without delay 

mobile – adj. able to be moved

gravitate – v. to be attracted to or toward something or someone

digital – adj.  using or characterized by computer technology

likelihood – n. the chance that something will happen

destination – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent

alternative – n. something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option

brick and mortar – adjectival phrase  used to describe a traditional store or business that is in a building instead of on the Internet

mall – n. a large building or group of buildings containing stores of many different kinds and sizes

occupy – v.  to fill or be in (a place or space)

distinction – n. a special honor, recognition, or award

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

3 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

7 adobe   

n.泥砖，土坯，美国Adobe公司

参考例句：

• They live in an adobe house.他们住在一间土坯屋里。
• Adobe bricks must drived dried completely before are used.土坯砖块使用前一定要完全干燥。

8 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

9 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

12 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。