In Sc, Simple Diversions Blunt Downturn's Impact (ap)

Draped in multicolor string lights and blasting Christmas music, a group of over 20 skaters weaved through the streets of Chicago on a recent night to celebrate the holiday season. The group’s leader, 65-year-old Tom Grosspietsch, said he hoped that the skate would “lift up spirits” across the city in time for the holiday season, with the route intentionally passing through heavily populated areas with restaurants and nightlife.  “It’s like the circus is coming to town, and everybody honks their horns and yells and cheers from the outdoor bars,” Grosspietsch said. Skating approximately 12 miles along city streets during regular Friday night “Road Raves,” the Windy City Skaters have been putting their wheels to the pavement for over a decade.

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NEW YORK — After weeks of pushing early deals, retailers in the United States and some other countries tried to seduce customers with promises of bigger discounts on Black Friday, the sales event that still reigns as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. Department stores, shopping malls and merchants — big and small — see the day after Thanksgiving as a way to energize shoppers and to get them into physical stores at a time when many gift-seekers do the bulk of their browsing and buying online. Enough traditionalists must still be around, because Black Friday remains the biggest day of the year for retail foot traffic in the U.

NEW DELHI — Amazon staff in India have joined strike action calling for better wages and working conditions as the company prepares for one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. About 200 warehouse workers and delivery drivers rallied in the capital, New Delhi, under a “Make Amazon Pay” banner.