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Home Depot is making a significant move to lure customers into its stores after recently seeing weak sales growth.

The home-improvement chain revealed in its most recent earnings report that its U.S. comparable sales increased 1.3% year over year in the second quarter of 2026. 

Foot traffic in its stores also slipped during the quarter, as recent Placer.ai data revealed that average visits per Home Depot location declined 0.6% year over year. 

“Consumer uncertainty and housing affordability continue to pressure demand for larger home improvement projects,” a trend that is impacting sales, Home Depot Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said on an earnings call in August. 

“We have a lot of volatility,” he said. “We have unplanned cost pressure that is significant in the market, and we have frozen housing conditions. With all of that, we are focused on controlling what we can control.”

Home Depot announces new customer discounts ahead of Black Friday

As Home Depot faces significant headwinds, it has launched steep discounts and generous deals for the holiday shopping season.  

The company has announced in a recent press release that its Black Friday Savings Event, which offers deals on home improvement essentials, major appliances, power tools, and holiday décor in stores and online, officially begins on Nov. 5 and ends on Nov. 25. 

During the event, Home Depot is offering customers buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) deals on select power tools. For instance, customers who purchase an eligible tool or battery kit from brands such as DEWALT, Milwaukee, and RYOBI can receive a select power tool for free. 

The home-improvement chain is also offering significant discounts on major appliances. 

For example, Home Depot states that customers can “save up to an extra $500 on qualifying refrigeration purchases of $2,498 or more, up to $300 on laundry purchases of $1,698 or more, up to $300 on cooking purchases of $1,498 or more and up to $150 on dishwasher purchases of $798 or more, with a maximum discount of $1,250.”

Read more: Lowe’s launches a new service as it works to win back customers

Home Depot is also launching deals on Hubspace smart home products, tool kits, and accessories during the event.

For holiday decor, the company is offering savings on indoor and outdoor items, including 100-count LED string lights for $5.98, select 3.5-foot LED pre-lit inflatables for $19.98, and 6.5-foot LED pre-lit artificial Christmas trees for $49.98.

The Black Friday deals from Home Depot come as it faces heightened competition from Lowe’s, its top rival. Lowe’s kicked off its Black Friday sales early on Oct. 29, and they are set to last for four weeks. 

Just like Home Depot, Lowe’s is offering discounts on holiday décor, tools, appliances, and outdoor power equipment, with special deals featuring free products with select purchases from major tool brands.

Lowe’s is taking it a step further this year by expanding its annual 10 Days of Deals to 12 Days of Deals, which begins on Nov. 16. It is also launching its biggest Black Friday savings during Thanksgiving week. 

Home Depot is launching generous Black Friday deals as it struggles to dramatically increase its U.S. comparable sales. jetcityimage / Getty Images

Home Depot faces mounting challenges heading into the holidays

Home Depot is also making a major push to attract holiday shoppers at a time when many are limiting their spending due to economic pressures.

A recent survey by Thrivent found that 52% of Americans expect the current economic environment to affect their holiday spending at least somewhat. Approximately 72% said inflation is negatively impacting their household finances, while 71% said the same about gas prices.

Amid these challenges, 66% of Americans said they will purchase fewer gifts during the holiday season this year, up from 56% in 2025, while 46% plan to buy for fewer people, up from 37%. Also, 51% plan to purchase less expensive gifts while holiday shopping.

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In an interview with Retail TouchPoints in August, Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData, said there will be some winners and losers during the holiday season as consumers change their spending habits. 

“2026 will be a solid enough holiday season and consumers will come out and spend,” said Saunders. “That said, under the headline, spending will be selective and consumers will be very discerning about what they buy and where they buy it. This will mean results will be polarized. Some retailers will see good gains and others won’t.”

For Home Depot and other home-improvement chains, these consumer trends may be exacerbated by continued housing market headwinds. 

According to Freddie Mac data, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 6.86% in September, up from 6.67% in August and 6.35% one year ago. 

As rates went up, existing-home sales decreased 2.2% year over year in September, recent data from the National Association of Realtors showed. Also, the median existing-home price was $417,500, up 1.3% from a year earlier. 

“Despite the small monthly gain on a seasonally adjusted basis, August and September marked the two slowest months for home sales this year,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist, in a press release.

“Further increases in mortgage rates in recent weeks mean fewer buyers can qualify to purchase a home.”

Related: Home Depot faces uphill battle amid a growing customer problem

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Why we love this deal

A nice-looking necklace can be an easy choice for occasions when you want to add something to the outfit without wearing a large collection of accessories. It makes a great statement piece while also looking sleek and can be a great gift for loved ones as well. An adjustable design is practical and allows you to create different looks with one piece. Gemstones and elegant details add to the look, adding color or texture to the piece while still complementing a dressier look or a simple outfit. 

The Macy’s Gemstone Bolo Necklace features a beautiful gemstone set in a polished bar, balancing the gemstone’s color with a simple metallic finish. The necklace features either amethyst, citrine, or blue topaz combined with different colored metals to offer an eye-catching centerpiece. Shoppers save 81% on this necklace, paying just $61.

Macy’s Gemstone Bolo Necklace, $61 (was $325) at Macy’s

Courtesy of Macy’s

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Why do shoppers love it?

The bolo clasp closure allows the necklace to be adjusted, and the 18-inch length offers options from a choker-style necklace that can be worn with higher-cut tops to a long, dangly necklace that catches the eye over a cardigan or low-cut dress. The adjustability makes it an easy option for people of any size, fitting how you want for any occasion. When worn tighter around the neck, the clasps dangle down the back, creating a two-in-one piece that can be seen from the front or back. 

Related: Macy’s has a $150 double heart diamond necklace for 65% off that’s perfect for gifting

The polished bar features detailing that offers a bit of texture without going overboard, and the design comes in three colors with three different gemstones. The Swiss blue topaz comes with a sterling silver chain, the Madeira Citrine is available in a gold-plated chain, and the amethyst is available in a Rose gold option, offering complementary pairs for all gemstones. Like almost all gemstones, the stones in these necklaces have been treated and require special care, but Macy’s offers free cleanings to keep your jewelry looking its best. 

Details to know

Size: The 18-inch chain can be adjusted to any length you need.

Colors: Choose from topaz, amethyst, or citrine gems, with rose gold, silver, or yellow gold metals.

Design: The polished bar with the embedded gem works well for both casual and dressier looks.

“It’s just beautiful,” one buyer said. “It looks stunning, and the chain is great quality. It’s a wonderful buy.”Another reviewer said, “I love it! It’s my first bolo necklace, and I think it’s great.”

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For anyone who prefers color over traditional clear stones, Macy’s Gemstone Bolo Necklace offers a unique design in multiple color options. The polished bars offer a clean contrast between the gems, and the adjustable length keeps the piece versatile. Additionally, at 81% off, you can’t go wrong with this price at Macy’s.

Reddit’s stock plunged about 28% on Friday, October 30, after the company said its U.S. audience is shrinking due to Google’s AI search features.

The sell-off came even though third-quarter revenue jumped 53% to $895 million. U.S. daily users fell to 50.7 million, down 2.5 million from the prior quarter, and CEO Steve Huffman said search referrals dropped by more than 1 million a week in October.

Shares, which closed at $129.60 on October 29, traded below their 52-week low of $119.27, changing hands at $91 as of 1 pm EDT. For investors who bought Reddit as an AI winner, the message is that the same technology is now taking away the traffic that feeds the business.

Reddit is tied deeply to Google

Reddit runs the discussion forums where users post questions, advice and opinions, and it makes money mainly from advertising.

Much of its audience arrives from Google searches, which is why search changes matter so much. The stock has been popular with retail investors, but its data is also valuable to AI companies.

In 2024, Reddit inked deals with Google and OpenAI, allowing their respective Gemini and ChatGPT large language models to train on Reddit content in exchange for $60 million and $70 million per year, respectively.

Related: Googling for Reddit answers is about to get harder

Deals like that have supported revenue, but concern is that AI overviews are reducing traffic to Reddit by more than the company is pocketing from its AI deals.

Reddit reports “daily active uniques,” or DAUq, split between logged-in users, who tend to be more engaged, and logged-out users, who often arrive from search and see fewer ads and less engagement. That split is the heart of today’s drop.

In Q3, global DAUq rose 12% year-over-year to 130.3 million. However, U.S. DAUq fell 1% year-over-year, as a 4% dip in logged-out users overwhelmed a 1% increase in logged-in users.

“Google has really shifted in their relationship with the rest of the Internet,” said CEO Steve Huffman on Reddit’s earnings call. “People still want Reddit. It’s just Google is not sending them to Reddit the way they used to.”

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman saw a drop in logged-out user engagement as Google referrals fell due to AI overviews.Bloomberg / Getty Images

Reddit quarter was far from a disaster, but worries remain

Reddit revenue in the third quarter rose a more than healthy 53% to $895 million and while DAUq saw headwinds, U.S. revenue was still up 50% to $719 million.

As a result, Reddit’s profit improved, with diluted EPS clocking in at $1.40, above Wall Street estimates of $1.33.

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Those are healthy figures, but the worry over DAUq trumped them, particularly because user engagement fell sequentially. U.S. daily users fell 4.7% from the second quarter, and again, logged-out users were to blame, given they slipped 9%.

Management didn’t offer a convincing outlook that things would improve, either, given guidance for the fourth quarter was for revenue between $1 billion and $1.03 billion, below analysts’ $1.045 billion consensus outlook.

“The reality is the AI Mode does not drive traffic, not for us and not to anybody as far as I know,” said Huffman. “It used to be a traffic driver. Now it’s not.”

Q4 daily users could fall by a “low double-digit percentage” if Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode trends continue.

Wall Street issues a glum verdict on Reddit stock

JP Morgan cut its Reddit stock price target to $150 from $185, citing search traffic headwinds, according to TheFly. com.

Similar verdicts were issued by other analysts, including Goldman Sachs, which lowered its Reddit price target to $140 from $215 because of weaker search referrals and declines in traffic from logged-out users.

Reddit isn’t ignoring the logged-out user drop, but COO Jen Wong did point out that 80% of monetization comes from logged-in and app users, making them more important.

From here, the key will be whether U.S. logged-in users hold above 23.4 million and whether Q4 revenue lands at or above $1.0B, the low end of guidance, when Reddit reports early next year. Also watch Google’s AI search rollout, as it could continue to soften Reddit traffic, and Reddit’s tests of logged-in-only access — a move it hopes can shore up its user base.

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T-Mobile customers appear to be changing their tune after the carrier implemented several notable changes to its pricing, plans, and discounts in recent months. 

For example, in April, T-Mobile refreshed its fiber internet plan lineup with lower prices but cut voice line discounts and its 5-year price guarantee from these offerings. T-Mobile also raised prices on all of its 5G home internet plans by $5 in June and added new speed limits.

That same month, the carrier phased out several legacy wireless plans, moving some customers to replacement options with higher monthly costs. 

By July, T-Mobile scrapped its KickBack discount, which rewarded customers with $10 in monthly savings per line when their data consumption remained under 2GB. 

T-Mobile faces rising customer losses

Amid these changes, T-Mobile revealed in its latest earnings report that its postpaid account churn (the percentage of customers who cut their service) reached 1.09% in the third quarter of 2026, up from 0.97% a year ago.

The carrier also added 274,000 new postpaid accounts during the quarter, fewer than the 396,000 it added in the same period in 2025. In addition, T-Mobile’s postpaid ARPA (average revenue per account) hit $155.73, up from $149.44 the previous year. 

While the company did not disclose specific churn rates for postpaid wireless and postpaid broadband accounts, T-Mobile Chief Financial Officer Peter Osvaldik said on an Oct. 28 earnings call that its churn levels during the quarter were as expected.

“The makeup of postpaid accounts and 5G broadband and fiber-only accounts churning predictably as they always do at a higher level structurally than postpaid phone churn itself,” said Osvaldik. 

Read more: T-Mobile adds monthly fee to a new iPhone feature for customers

He confirmed that the company did see an increase in postpaid phone churn due to its decision back in June to discontinue several legacy wireless plans, which he said will have a “couple-quarter impact.”

“The Q4 (fourth quarter of 2026) impact will be much more muted,” he said. “But we do anticipate a little bit of impact in Q4.”

Osvaldik said that T-Mobile expects to see higher churn in general in the fourth quarter of this year than in the third quarter.

“Seasonally for everybody, Q4 tends to be a higher churn quarter than Q3 because of the holiday season,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement around it. I’d expect that seasonality to continue. So churn implicitly would go up, account churn as well.” 

He said that the growing popularity of broadband-only accounts and T-Mobile’s recent acquisition of UScellular have contributed to, and will continue to contribute to, increased churn for the remainder of the year. 

“There’s more 5G broadband and fiber-only accounts,” said Osvaldik. “However, we had UScellular as well come on board.”

“And so you’re still going to see the dynamics of, yes, accounts include blended accounts, but they also include more and more 5G broadband-only or fiber-only accounts, which offer obviously a great opportunity in the future for cross-sell and deepening the relationship, but just as a result of, well, broadband churn is higher than postpaid phone, it’s a pure mathematical exercise,” he said.

T-Mobile saw a rise in postpaid account churn in the third quarter of 2026.Bloomberg / Getty Images

T-Mobile navigates rising competition as rivals expand bundled offerings

T-Mobile’s recent increase in customer losses comes amid intensifying competition in the wireless and broadband markets. 

Verizon and AT&T have been leaning more into offering customers bundled wireless and broadband deals to attract price-conscious customers. 

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For instance, AT&T introduced its OneConnect plan in March, bundling wireless service and 1-gig fiber home internet for a monthly fee of $90. Verizon followed a similar approach in June when it launched its Verizon One plan, a $ 70-per-month offering that combines wireless and home internet service.

Cable operators have also been successfully gaining wireless customers after launching bundled offers.

Comcast began offering a free mobile line with its internet plans in 2025, and it revealed in its most recent earnings report that it added 368,000 new Xfinity wireless customers in the U.S. in the third quarter. 

In its second-quarter 2026 earnings report, Spectrum said it attracted 406,000 new wireless customers. The increased demand follows the launch of its $1,000 savings guarantee earlier this year, which promises new and existing Spectrum internet customers who switch two or more mobile lines from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile $1,000 in savings in their first year.

Many U.S. consumers have been opting for bundled mobile and internet deals to save money amid economic pressures. 

According to a 2025 survey by Optimum, 80% of Americans consider bundling broadband and wireless services more cost-effective than paying for each service separately. Also, about 1 in 4 said they are likely to sign up for a bundled plan in 2026. 

In an analysis in August, Steve Vachon, a senior analyst at TBR’s telecom practice, said the telecom industry is “entering a new phase” as convergence strategies take “center stage.”

“The next phase of U.S. telecom growth will increasingly depend on how effectively operators combine wireless and broadband assets to deepen customer relationships and capture new revenue opportunities,” wrote Vachon.

Related: T-Mobile reduces a generous discount as customers see prices rise

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Why we love this deal

Decorating an outdoor space shouldn’t be an afterthought. Whether big or small, there’s a lot of potential to make a patio or balcony feel like an extension of your home. The right patio furniture can transform a space, making a deck look as comfortable as your own living room, but with the benefit of being outdoors. Outdoor rugs and patio sets that come with sofas and armchairs can help create a cozy environment, but one item you don’t want to overlook? An outdoor coffee table.

Coffee tables can tie the entire room together indoors, and they have just as much impact in an outdoor space. If you’re looking for something space-saving and design-forward, the Better Homes and Gardens Juliet Outdoor Coffee Table is easily one of our favorites. At Walmart, you can get it on sale for just $279. Originally $398, the bestselling outdoor coffee table is 30% off, saving you $119.

Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Outdoor Coffee Table with Ottomans, $279 (was $398) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

You might be tempted to stick with a simple outdoor coffee table with a tempered glass top and simple metal frame, but if you really want to make your patio feel like home, the Better Homes and Gardens Juliet Outdoor Coffee Table is the way to go. With a beautiful oval-shaped silhouette and light color scheme, it looks straight out of a design magazine.

This coffee table may look like wood, but it’s actually a wood-like finish on an e-coated and powder-coated steel frame. It has a high-end look with added durability, making it rust resistant and outdoor friendly. But what really makes this coffee table special is the ottomans that come with it. They’re designed to fit neatly under the table, so they’ll save a ton of space when you don’t need an extra seat. The ottomans feature beige fabric that’s treated with 3M Scotchgard, which makes them easy to clean. They also have a sleek faux wood finish base that matches the table perfectly. 

To keep it protected, the coffee table comes with a patio cover that fits it perfectly. When a rainstorm is expected, throw on the cover to keep it looking pristine.

Related: Walmart has a 5-foot walk-in storage shed for just $98

Details to know

Table dimensions: 48 inches long by 24.8 inches wide by 18.9 inches high.

Ottoman dimensions: 21.85 inches long by 21.85 inches wide by 15.35 inches high.

Ottoman weight capacity: 250 pounds each.

“I waited and waited for this item to restock, and I purchased [it] once it did,” a shopper said. “It is stylish, solid quality, too.”

Another customer praised its small-space-friendly size and design. “I love the look and that the ottomans can be out of the way underneath the table when not in use,” they said. They added that the ottomans have “enough padding to be comfy enough for sitting,” as well.

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An indicator that you found a solid piece of outdoor furniture is that it’s something you’d want to use indoors. The Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Outdoor Coffee Table gives that exact feeling, and there’s never been a better time to buy it while it’s on sale for under $300.