deirdre bolton, abc news, new york. >>> still ahead on abc7 news at 11:00, two san franciscans are taking it into their own hands to spread holiday cheer. we for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa >>> the tree twins are back on the streets of san francisco just in time for the holiday season. our abc7 news crew team ran into the duo on the embarcadero tonight. the tree twins, as they're called, say they've been dressing up for the past five holiday seasons just for fun and to spread joy. this year's costumes are all new. the pair will be out and about until christmas eve and encourage people who run into them to snap a photo and tag them on social media. >>> chris, you had a good joke about

abc news reporter deirdre bolton took a deep dive into where and when to find the next deals. >> reporter: this morning the holiday season is in full swing as shoppers prepare for a blockbuster cyber monday. >> we're looking for deals, anything from electronics to furniture. >> i'm focusing on shopping small businesses. >> reporter: so far, shoppers spending record amounts of money on thanksgiving day and black friday. >> it's not that many people for some reason. >> the deals we've experienced in macy's thus far have been awesome. >> reporter: analysts say tomorrow could be the largest online sale day in history. >> consumers spent less on entertainment, on dining out, on travel. given what 2020 threw at us, this is a moment where people are gifting and giving to their friends and family as a way of boosting their spirits. >> reporter: americans expecting to spend between $10.8 billion and $12.7 billion, a gain of between 15 to 35% over last year. >> individuals are working from home, kids and teens working from home. the only option to shop safely is from home, which is why we'll see a

if you do plan to shop online today, here's abc's deirdre bolton on what to know. >> holiday shoppers expected to break all records for online shopping in a single day. >> we're super excited about cyber monday this year more than ever. >> reporter: with retailers offering some serious bargains around cyber monday. beatz headphones normally 299 now 169 75-inch 4k tvs cut from $799 to $499 at many retailers. this kitchenaid mixer a savings of $100. last year americans spent $9.4 billion on cyber monday. this forecast, up 35%, which would make this cyber monday the largest online sales day ever. the pandemic changing not just how we shop but also why. >> this is a moment where people are gifting and giving to their friends and family as a way of boosting their spirits. >> it's also about the kinds of purchases that make sense in a time of social distancing. >> home goods doing super well, outdoor stuff. >> with retailers expecting reduced foot traffic in their brick and mortar stars, those mobile apps are out ahead. all spending giving a real boost to the economic recovery. >>> so there

here's deirdre bolton. >> reporter: tonight, the pandemic is changing everything, including the way we shop for the holidays. >> what we are seeing with retail in the holiday season, in light of the pandemic, is health and safety is by far the number one priority. >> reporter: for many consumers, that means shopping online. to try to keep up with the rise in demand, ups is hiring 100,000 seasonal employees and fedex another 70,000. amazon announcing it is giving its front line workers special holiday bonuses totaling more than $500 million. >> we've created jobs and opened 200,000 jobs since september alone. so we can make sure that we are delivering to our customers, and not compromising the health and safety of our employees. >> reporter: and this year the pandemic is influencing what holiday shoppers are buying. >> home goods, doing super well. outdoor stuff. people are going to be stocking up on outdoor heat lamps to extend the season. and then i think people are buying ppe and home uvc sanitizers. >> reporter: no matter what you buy, experts say plan what you're buying, stick to i

here's abc's deirdre bolton. >> reporter: tonight, the desperation is growing. in atlanta, thousands lining up in their cars for food. some waiting up to 18 hours for thanksgiving meals. the line outside tyler perry studios stretched for five miles. families unable to afford the basics. >> my family really needs it. i have four little ones, so this came a big help. >> reporter: 21 million americans receiving unemployment benefits and now fears of housing stability are increasing. >> i have friends that i can move in with, with my son. it certainly wouldn't be ideal, but i have those options. >> reporter: right now 6.6% of all mortgages are in some stage of delinquency. that's 3.3 million american homes, nearly doubling in just nine months. >> we've seen a big spike in the number of delinquent homeowners since the pandemic began. >> reporter: the c.a.r.e.s. act passed in march protects homeowners from foreclosure. but homeowners only have 40 more days to apply if they need help, if another relief bill is not passed. >> the c.a.r.e.s. act, that has been such an im

abc's deirdre bolton with some of the major deals already in place. >> reporter: tonight, on the eve of the holiday shopping season, timing is everything. >> black friday shopping is like a month in advance now. >> reporter: more than 40% of shoppers saying they started making their holiday purchases earlier than usual this year. >> i'm done christmas shopping. i did it all online with pickup like this. it's tremendous. >> reporter: the pandemic making online shopping extra popular. and 60 major retailers are offering curbside pickup. online and other nonstore sales are forecast to increase between 20% and 30% and could top $218 billion. for those who don't want to lose the in-person shopping experience, many retailers are instituting extra safety measures and encouraging social distancing. the cdc has added "shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after thanksgiving" to its list of higher risk activities to avoid. no matter where or how you're shopping, black friday sales are already live. you can find half off beats wireless noise canceling headphones. and for those looking t

abc's deirdre bolton is right here with that story. : good morning, dan. experts say bookmark your favorite retailers' websites today. that way the best deals show up on your phone or your tablet asap. this morning the holiday season is in full swing as shoppers prepare for a blockbuster cyber monday. >> we're looking for deals, anything from electronics to furniture. >> i'm focusing on shopping small businesses. >> reporter: so far shoppers spending record amounts of money on thanksgiving day and black friday. >> it's easier to shop today for some reason. there's not that many people. >> the deals we experienced at macy's thus far have been awesome. >> reporter: and analysts say tomorrow could be the largest online sales day in history. >> consumers spent less on entertainment, on dining out, on travel. given what 2020 threw at us, this is a moment where people are gifting and giving to their friends and family as a way of boosting their spirits. >> reporter: americans expected to spend between $10.8 billion, and $12.7 billion. that wo

it's a crucial day for many struggling stores and abc's deirdre bolton is on that story. you. >> reporter: good morning, dan. we are focusing on smaller businesses but a quick word about where i am right in front of a gamestop. lines have been around the block for sony playstation's new ps5. one of the hottest gifts this holiday season. this black friday some shoppers literally falling over each other to take advantage of the best deals. >> you need to relax. >> reporter: despite covid-19 cases rising some decided to flood stores in order to find sales. but the majority of americans decided to take advantage of deals from the comfort of their own homes. the mall of america seeing far fewer customers compared to years past and on thanksgiving day alone, online shopping reached a record-shattering $5.1 billion, up 21% from last year. of those online sales more people are shopping from their mobile phones, almost half coming from smartphones. another record. >> i'm done christmas shopping. i did it all online with pickup like this. it's tremendous. >> reporter: some of the m

abc's deirdre bolton is on the story. deirdre, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, dan.ormally this is a festive time of year, but the pandemic is creating hardship. more than 8 million americans have fallen into poverty since the spring, and two studies show that the level of poverty in the u.s. is now higher than it was pre-pandemic. >> i would never think that would ever happen, and i didn't ever think it would be this hard. >> reporter: this morning, thousands of americans descend on food banks across the country. >> we will make sure that they have had their portion and maybe another portion before we will eat. me and dad have kind of gotten to the point now where we only eat maybe once a day. >> reporter: cars lined up for miles. many people struggling ahead of this thanksgiving holiday. >> we don't have enough to eat. we don't have money to pay our rent. >> we've never seen an increase in food demand like we have since march. >> reporter: more than 21 million americans are receiving some form of unemployment insurance. >> nobody likes sitting at home just living o

deirdre bolton, abc news, new york. >>> if you're looking for a guide, we have one. cybermonday 2020, it's right on our website. go to abc7news.com. i will be participating, you? >> for sure, but i feel like cybermonday was just like black friday. >> it's all the same thing. >> yeah. >> just like how every day is the same day. the shopping is now just, you know, blended into one big blur. >> mm-hmm. >> hi, mike. how are you? >> hi, haven't stopped shopping since, what, early last week. so, yeah, every day new deals. it's like christmas. you open up the email, hey, new deals. new presents. all right. let's talk about what's going on weather-wise. we could use some rain out there. i'm here to tell you it's not happening on this last day of november. we'll end it the same way we've enjoyed most of these november days with sunshine and temperatures a little bit above average. here we are from mount tam, notice we're looking south towards san francisco. camera not bouncing hardly at all because there's just not a breeze out there. so becoming sunny today after a few high

abc's deirdre bolton has the latest on what you need to know. good morning to you, deirdre. >> reporter: good morning, eva. as millions of americans struggle to make ends meet, there are two federal emergency programs. both part of the c.a.r.e.s. act that are set to expire next month. this morning, the clock is ticking as federal relief for millions of americans is running out. >> i've never been one to count on the government for help. but i've also never been one in a pandemic and had a country shut down either. >> reporter: randy williams lost his job as a manager of a casual restaurant this spring. after his state unemployment benefits ran out, the pandemic emergency unemployment compensation plan allowed him to pay his bills for an extended 13 weeks. this program is one of two that ends just weeks from now. >> one of the problems here is that, i mean the normal social safety net in this country has a big hole in it and usually the backup employment options are just not there so some of the long-term unemployed have very little option right n