Are Americans under an inflation trap? Lightspeed reports shed light on how several US citizens are looking to buy everyday essentials during Black Friday Sale and not splurge on just premium items.
This year’s Black Friday Sale in the United States is not looking like the big ticket for consumers to buy premium products at a cheaper rate, as Americans are now looking to stock up on everyday essentials amid inflation concerns in the US economy.
According to a report from the cloud-based payments platform, Lightspeed, the spending priorities in the United States are witnessing a shift where one in every four Americans plans to use the Black Friday discounts for essentials.
This means 23% of Americans are planning to purchase everyday essential items, including groceries, toiletries, and other household basic products, during the mega discount event. The report also highlighted that 47% of people plan to split their expenses between essential and premium items.
“Shoppers are still under the pressure of a higher cost of living, so fairness, transparency, and empathy matter more than ever. It’s not just about discounts—it’s about building trust and confidence that bring customers back long after the holidays,” said Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed Commerce, in its report.
Black Friday Sale comes on the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday, which brings along heavy discounts on several goods to kick off the holiday shopping season.
US inflation snapshot
The Bureau of Labor Statistics data released for the month of September 2025 showed that consumer inflation in the United States increased at a rate of 3% for the 12-month period amid the federal government shutdown.
Mint reported earlier that the Labor Bureau data showed that the CPI inflation in the US increased to 3% for the 12-month period ending September 2025, compared to a 2.9% rise for the same period ending in August 2025.
Even though the overall CPI inflation increased, the prices in the US economy rose at a slightly lower pace, with a 0.3% increase in September 2025, compared to a 0.4% rise in August 2025.
“The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, after rising 0.4% in August,” according to the official data release.
Cost of shelter, airline prices, cost of recreational activities, household furnishings and operations, along with apparel costs, were the expenses which witnessed an increase over the month in September.
Powell’s inflation concerns
US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, during his media address after the FOMC policy decision, said that inflation in the US economy has picked up due to the rise in goods prices.
Powell also said that the rise in CPI inflation is due to the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on goods imported into the country from foreign nations.
“Readings are higher than earlier in the year, as inflation for goods has picked up,” said Powell.
Despite the elevated inflation levels, the US Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to cut the key benchmark interest rates to 3.75% to 4.00%, marking a 25 basis point rate cut.
The central bank now aims to evaluate incoming economic data to analyse and set the interest rate trajectory for the US economy in its upcoming meetings.
A change in interest rates in an economy directly impacts the borrowing power of consumers, provided the banks transmit the rate cut effects to the credit customers. A higher purchasing power can potentially lead to higher spending in an economy.
