Early Reports Depict Strong Turnout by Black Friday Shoppers

While some families were still enjoying their Turkey dinner, U.S. shoppers began heading to stores as early as 7 pm last Thursday night. Bargains by retailers on electronics, appliances, apparel and toys lured in strong crowds, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported.

A 0.5 percent increase in Black Friday spending by shoppers, compared to 2008, was reported by ShopperTrak, a company providing shopper-traffic data. Spending totaled $10.66 billion as compared to $10.61 billion on Black Friday 2008, according to ShopperTrak.

“As highlighted in 2008, Friday’s relatively strong performance isn’t always a bellwether for the entire season, but we believe the 1.6 percent increase we originally predicted for the holiday season remains intact,” ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin said.

Despite the slight rise in shopper turnout on Black Friday, the NRF has forecasted a 1.0 percent decrease in overall holiday sales. The NRF forecast is based on factors such as housing data, unemployment rates and retail sales reports.