Paltry holiday forecast could mean big deals for shoppers

With the holidays nearing and the post-Thanksgiving "Black Friday" around the corner, mid-November usually is the time of year shoppers shift into high gear.

But for the first time in decades, the Maryland Retailers Association is predicting shoppers won't spend more than they did last year - not even by a little.

That will mean desperate business owners will lay out big deals to lure in customers, officials said. Early sales and cheaper merchandise should abound this month - even more so in December - as the gift-giving deadline for friends, family and coworkers closes in.

The Consumer Price Index, the...