Several predictions for the 2010 Black Friday weekend came true!
- There were more shoppers in stores and visiting websites over this Black Friday weekend
- More money was spent than a year ago
- Shoppers purchased more fun gifts (jewelry) instead of practical gifts (coffee makers)
But hold on! Black Friday 2010 weekend looked good, but consumers are still concerned with the economy, so retailers are urged to continue their low pricing and can't-pass-up offers.
"As retailers look ahead to the first few weeks of December, it will be important for them to keep momentum going with savings and incentives that holiday shoppers simply can't pass up."
Matthew Shay, NRF President and CEO
By The Numbers...
- 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 195 million last year
- The average shopper this weekend spent $365.34, up fro last year's $343.31
- Total spending reached an estimated $45 billion
- The number of people who shop on Thanksgiving day, both online and in stores, has doubled over the past five years, from 10.3 million in 2005 to 22.3 million in 2010
Consumers clad in PJs visited stores earlier than ever
- The number of people who began their Black Friday shopping at midnight tripled this year from 3.3% last year to 9.5% in 201
- By 4 a.m. 24% of Black Friday shoppers were already in stores
Some purchasing highlights
- The number of people who purchased jewelry over the weekend rose from 11.7% last year to 14.3% this year
- Gift cards rose from 21.2% last year to 24.7%
- Toys came back from 32.2% to 33.6%
- Books and electronics rose from 40.3 last year to 42.1%
Department stores saw increase in traffic
Both department stores (52% this year vs. 49.4% last year) and clothing stores (24.4% vs. 22.9%) saw an increase in traffic while the percentage of people who shopped at discounters declined 7.2% from 43.2% last year to 40.3% this year
Retailers paid more attention to online deals, and shoppers responded
The percentage of people who shopped online this weekend rose 15.2% from 28.5% last year to 33.6% this year
Image: Simon Howden/freedigitalphotos.net
Sources
NRF: Black Friday Weekend Sees Bigger Crowds, $45 Billion in Spending, nrf.com, 11/28/10
