Thanksgiving weekend shopping

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'Not the Old Black Friday That We Used to Know'

Retailers tried to entice shoppers with sales, but energy level doesn't seem the same as in years past

(Newser) - Retailers used giveaways and big discounts to reward US shoppers who ventured out for Black Friday, even as earlier offers, the prospect of better bargains in the days ahead, and the ease of e-commerce drained much of the excitement from the holiday shopping season's much-hyped kickoff. Frequent deals throughout...

Online Shoppers, Today Is Your Big Day

With Black Friday, it's on to Cyber Monday, wrapping up 5-day Cyber Week for holiday shopping

(Newser) - Consumers are scouring the internet for online deals as they begin to cap off the five-day post-Thanksgiving shopping bonanza with Cyber Monday. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of our everyday lives and much of the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday—a term coined back in 2005 by...

Retailers Steel for What May Be a Holiday Mixed Bag

Consumers seem set to spend on Black Friday, but how much, how long after that remains a question

(Newser) - The holiday season is a critical one for many US retailers, and with Black Friday just two days away, it appears consumers are gearing up for a shopping spree: According to the National Retail Federation, about 182 million people are expected to open their wallets online and at brick-and-mortar stores...

Toys R Us Doubles Down With Turkey Day Hours

Retailer announces 30-hour shopping marathon starting at 5pm

(Newser) - Black Friday has in recent years received a black mark as retailers took criticism for slowly pushing back the mega-shopping event until it actually started on Thanksgiving Day. Some retailers and shopping venues have given in to the backlash: Various malls (such as the Mall of America) and chain stores...

2 Retailers Will Stay Closed on Thanksgiving

So far GameStop, Staples have made announcements

(Newser) - First there was the trend of stores opening on Thanksgiving itself to get a jump on the Black Friday sales; now, thanks to backlash, there's the trend of stores making big announcements to tout the fact that they will not be open on Thanksgiving. The two biggest names to...

Chill Out, Activists: Working Black Friday Is Fun

There are other ways to fight for retail employees: Angela Harmon

(Newser) - People like to hate on Black Friday and its gradual encroachment onto Thanksgiving, often "offering righteous indignation on behalf of retail workers who can’t spend the holiday with their families," writes Angela Harmon on Salon . But as a former retail employee who volunteered to work the midnight...

Here's How to Fix 'Black Thursday': Stay Home

Just ... don't ... shop. It's pretty simple: Ellen Galinsky

(Newser) - Based on the Facebook outrage and all the online petitions, a huge chunk of America is pretty upset about the growing trend of stores opening on Thanksgiving Day. But, uh, the way to fix this has nothing to do with signing a petition and posting it on your Facebook wall,...

Black Friday: Traffic Up, Sales Down

Thanks to Thursday store openings

(Newser) - There were nearly 308 million store visits on Black Friday this year, a 3.5% increase from last year, but sales were down 1.8% to $11.2 billion, according to a ShopperTrak analysis. Why? Blame stores that actually opened on Thursday night, CNN reports. "While foot traffic did...

Cyber Monday Was Biggest-Ever Online Shopping Day

Sales up 22% to $1.25B

(Newser) - This year's Cyber Monday was the biggest day in the history of online shopping, with a record $1.25 billion in sales, up from $1.03 billion last year, according to research firm comScore. Online sales were very strong all through the holiday weekend, but the following Monday "...

Black Friday Sets $11.4B Record

Consumers shrug off unemployment, pessimism, and spend

(Newser) - Holiday shoppers put their economic fears on layaway on Friday, and instead bought and charged their way to a record huge Black Friday, reports Bloomberg . With $11.4 billion spent at retail stores and malls on Friday, spending was up 6.6% from last year, the biggest one-year gain since...

'Black Thursday,' 'Black Midnight' Worked: Retail Analysts Say Starting Black Friday Earlier Could Become Norm
 Yep, 'Black Midnight' Worked 
UPDATED
Nov 26, 2011 8:18 AM CST

Yep, 'Black Midnight' Worked

Analysts say earlier hours could become the norm

(Newser) - Despite outcry and even protests beforehand, it appears the strategy of opening as early as 10pm Thursday night worked for Black Friday retailers, meaning “ Black Midnight ” or even “ Black Thursday ” will likely become the norm. The Los Angeles Times reports that Toys R Us, Sears, and...

VIDEO: Walmart Black Friday Shoppers Riot Over $2 Waffle Makers
Black Friday Shoppers Riot Over $2 Waffle Makers
plus more videos
Nov 25, 2011 5:00 PM CST

Black Friday Shoppers Riot Over $2 Waffle Makers

Plus, more pepper spray

(Newser) - The Black Friday craziness continues: Mashable points to a truly terrifying video of Walmart shoppers completely losing it over a display of $2 waffle makers. Mediaite , meanwhile, spotted the second video in the gallery below, in which police officers reportedly deployed pepper spray on over-enthusiastic Walmart shoppers in North Carolina....

Tea Partiers Want You to 'BUYcott Black Friday'

Activists fight back against Occupy Black Friday movement

(Newser) - There may be some common ground between the Occupiers and the Tea Partiers, but apparently not when it comes to Black Friday. The Tea Party is fighting back against Occupy Black Friday with its own campaign, BUYcott Black Friday, CNBC reports. As opposed to the Occupiers, who would rather you...

Forget Black Midnight: Now It's Black Thursday

And analysts warn more stores will jump on the bandwagon

(Newser) - Black Friday became “ Black Midnight ” this year—but analysts say it’s actually “Black Thursday,” as many stores are planning to open on Thanksgiving itself. Walmart, Toys R Us, and Kmart are among the chains barely giving customers a chance to digest their turkey dinner...

Target Worker Fights 'Black Midnight' Hours

Shifts start at 11pm on Thanksgiving, to employees' dismay

(Newser) - If you rolled your eyes at the news that some stores are opening at midnight on Black Friday, imagine how the employees of those stores feel. Target parking attendant Anthony Hardwick says that for his Black Friday shift—which starts at 11pm on Thursday—he’ll “have to go...

Stores Turn Black Friday Into Black Midnight

Target, Macy's kicking off holiday shopping season earlier than ever

(Newser) - This year's Black Friday probably won't be the most lucrative for big American retailers—but for some, it will be the longest. For the first time, Macy's and Target are planning to open their doors and kick off the holiday shopping season at midnight on Thanksgiving night,...

Must We Shop on Thanksgiving?
 Must We Shop 
 on Thanksgiving? 
OPINION
Nov 17, 2010 10:54 AM CST

Must We Shop on Thanksgiving?

Sears and Kmart will be open, moans Francine Kiefer

(Newser) - Forget the Grinch, or Scrooge: This year's holiday-spoiling honors go to Sears, writes Francine Kiefer. Last year the title went to Kmart, which kept its doors open all day long on Thanksgiving. Sears will join it this year, tempting not-yet-stuffed shoppers from 7am until noon—and it's "enough to...

Sales Rise Even Though Shoppers Spend Less
 Sales Rise Even Though 
 Shoppers Spend Less 
thanksgiving weekend
Nov 29, 2009 4:58 PM CST

Sales Rise Even Though Shoppers Spend Less

$41.2B weekend total beats 2008 haul by $1.2B

(Newser) - Thanksgiving weekend retail sales totaled $41.2 billion, a .5% jump over last year's $41 billion, but the average shopper spent 8% less than in 2008, $343.31 against $372.57. Discounts, especially on electronics and toys, were the overwhelming attraction as cautious consumers pried open their wallets, Bloomberg reports....

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