[...] according to the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, nearly 60 percent of holiday shoppers have already started holiday shopping as of Nov. 10. Unemployment rate has settled into a healthy 5 percent rate, but shoppers still grapple with stagnant wages that are not keeping pace with rising daily costs like rent. Gerald Storch, CEO of Hudson's Bay Company, which also operates Lord & Taylor, said the deals at the stores are even more aggressive than last year and include a $75 gift card with a $150 in-store purchase. Storch told The Associated Press that the luxury chain considered and then rejected opening on Thanksgiving, but it still wanted to do something special for its customers.