And a steady drip of Black Friday deals, started early in November at many retailers, has also delayed the rush, as some shoppers bet that the best deals are still coming. Holiday shoppers spent 7% less in dollars and 6% less in units from mid-October to mid-November compared with the year-ago period, Circana found. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBlack Friday state of mindAmong the biggest themes this holiday season: shoppers are hungry for deals and willing to wait for them. "We're going to have a sustained drumbeat of great offers for the entire holiday season, starting this week," he said on a call with CNBC. Some retailers, such as Best Buy, are trying to rush shoppers to hit the "buy" button by dangling short-term sales.

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Persons: Melissa Repko, Mario, Luigi, Nintendo's, Lowe's, Marshal Cohen, Circana, " Cohen, You've, you've, Barbie, Mario Tama, John David Rainey, Rainey, Steve Madden, Edward Rosenfeld, Marvin Ellison, Ellison, Corie Barry, Macy's Organizations: CNBC, National Retail Federation, Walmart, Nordstrom, Target, Dick's Sporting, Amazon's, NPD, Consumers, Getty, nab, Footwear, Shoppers, Disney Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Dallas, Los Angeles, Burbank , California