Fewer shoppers and a decline in spending during Black Friday weekend

Washington Post ^ | November 30, 2014 | Sarah Halzack

[C19fan]

Fewer consumers hit the stores or went online this Thanksgiving weekend, a sign that Black Friday’s bloat into days and even weeks of promotions may be creating less urgency around the events that many retailers consider the kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

The National Retail Federation reported that 55.1 percent of consumers shopped between Thursday and Sunday, according to a survey it conducted over the weekend. That is down from 58.7 percent the previous year. The NRF said total spending was $50.9 billion, an 11 percent decline from an estimated $57.4 billion in 2013.

[bgill]

Reminds me of tv. The more channels added, the less there is to watch.

[pinkandgreenmom]

I noticed for the first time that I am receiving mass amounts of emails from small “Mom and Pop” type homeschool curriculum companies that I use, touting “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” deals. I have been homeschooling since 2009 but never recall getting anything like this.

[who knows what evil?]

I spent $0.00 on Black Friday...that is probably the same amount I will spend on the entire ‘holiday season’...

[Varsity Flight]

Extortion-Care for the Exempt Gang/Lobby Gang Shakedown= Deflation

Slow/stop velocity of $

And this early, weather cannot be used as a scapegoat for decline.

[catnipman]

http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid/

I always thought ultra def was a waste of money.

[catnipman]

“I spent $0.00 on Black Friday...that is probably the same amount I will spend on the entire ‘holiday season’...”

Not me. I bought a new pilot light assembly to repair my hot water heater and some 3/4” Schedule 40 PVC parts to fix a faulty installation of the drain piping from my whole-house integrated humidifier system. Total cost? About $50.00. Will save several hundred in repair service calls, too. Just doing my part in starving the system in spending as little as possible, repairing instead of replacing, and being as self-reliant as possible.

[longtermmemmory]

From the units I have seen the picture was really amazing. I could be wrong but the ultra part is the even more pixels.

Like a few years ago, the Christmas specials were the 740p tvs.

[catnipman]

yeah, more pixels, but do they make much difference?

http://www.cnet.com/news/why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid/

[cloudmountain]

You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din. I am MOST unwomanly because I hate, detest, abhor, despise, deplore, loathe and otherwise intensely dislike ANY kind of shopping. YOU can have your stuff, thankew.

[Katya]

agreed... and the protests probably put shoppers off. I do my shopping early, and did some of it while abroad... I’ll do one little shopping right before christmas for last minute stuff that will be dramatically reduced by then.

[riri]

Our local police department sends out an e-newsletter every month. Thjs month they had tips how not to be a victim during the holiday season. One of them was actually that your Christmas tree was a magnet for burglars and instead of wrapping presents and putting them under the tree to,instead, wrap the presents and hide them in various places in the house. In drawers, cabinets, under furniture, etc.

What a sad testament to the times.

[dforest]

Actually, they have killed the Christmas spirit. People have had it with spending on a Holiday that has been deemed to be nothing other than buying stuff for yourself and others.

Sorry retailers, you are somewhat responsible.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

We spent very little on BF - there was nothing on sale that we needed or wanted.

[MamaDearest]

There are a lot of people just like us, some of them half my age and ticked off the way this nation and morality are going downhill while they attempt to raise their kids the right way. Just listening to people converse in public settings gives a good purvue of the profanity and vulgarity used by most people these days.