INVESTING BITCOIN CANNABIS CRYPTOCURRENCY ETFS EARNINGS FIXED INCOME Search HOME INVESTING 2 RETAIL STOCKS OUR TOP ANALYSTS ARE WATCHING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON NOV 26, 2021 12:38 PM EST Nearly Half of American Consumers Won't Be Shopping or Traveling This Holiday Season The study was conducted long before a new Covid-19 variant sent the market plummeting on Black Friday. VIDHI CHOUDHARY Qualtrics makes software for businesses to track customer interactions, brands and employees. The study conducted between Oct. 12 and Oct. 15 of 1,309 people found that half of participants are still worried about gathering for the holidays because of Covid. On Friday, a new Covid strain emerging in South Africa's business hub in Johannesburg had investors concerned about fresh lockdowns and restrictions. That news sent the Dow diving 900 points in a short Friday session. Only 44% Americans feel comfortable with holiday travel, the study that surveyed over 1,300 Americans aged 18 years or older who are employed full time or part time, found. Black Friday is usually seen as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday sales season. But this year, the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush could be hampered by a dangerous new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19. Close to 35% of people surveyed in October said they will do more holiday shopping online this year. The National Retail Federation estimates that 158.3 million people will make purchases in-store or online over the four-day period between Nov. 26 and Nov. 29 BY VIDHI CHOUDHARY Vidhi Choudhary covers U.S. news and global economy for TheStreet, specializing in breaking news. SEE MORE Terms Of Use Reviews Privacy Policy Advertise Market Holidays 2021 Customer Service Data Topic Dictionary Subscriptions © 2021 TheStreet, Inc. All rights reserved. Action Alerts PLUS is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.