It’s still November, but millions of Americans are already wiped out from all their holiday spending. This past Black Friday was one for the record books. The National Retail Federation says we spent $52.4 billion over the kickoff holiday shopping weekend. That’s up 16 percent over the same time period last year.
One factor may be that for the first time, several major retailers – including Macy’s and Target – opened their doors at midnight. My sister and I braved the crowds at a quarter after, and it didn’t take long for us to find shoppers keeled over in the 4th floor bedding section.
By the time we got home the next morning at 7:30, I’d spent about $300 on about $900 worth of things. I’d say I did pretty well, considering it was my first Black Friday adventure. And that’s not all. I also managed to spend less than the average person. This year, the experts say each shopper spent an average of nearly $400.
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| stuck in the middle of an epic snake line at express |
So all in all, a good strong start out of the gates this holiday season. But between the parties, putting up the tree and the lights, and all the other Christmas errands we run, I wonder if we’ll be able to keep up the pace.
After all, Christmas is still a month away.
