* Citigroup drops on fears of big operating loss * Alcoa falls on downgrade ahead of earnings * Dow down 1.5 pct; S&P 500, Nasdaq off over 2 pct (Updates Alcoa, JP Morgan, adds context...
Retailers across the country prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Christmas shopping typically begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and nearly every year certain "must-have" toys emerge that spur parents to camp outside stores and then, at the crack of dawn, to stampede inside for a chance to snag the coveted plaything for the Christmas tree.