Record Numbers Shopped on Black Friday

But they're cautious in their purchases
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 29, 2010 12:29 PM CST
Record Numbers Shopped on Black Friday
Macy's aisles are crowded with shoppers on Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, in Manhattan   (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Don’t look now, but America might be getting its spending groove back. A record 212 million shoppers hit up physical and online stores over the weekend, the Huffington Post reports, an 8.7% jump from last year. Their spending rose, too, to an average $365.34, up 6.4% from last year. But consumers weren’t spending indiscriminately; they were drawn to the big discounts retailers were offering.

“Consumers seem to be in a spending mood after a long drought,” said one economist. But “that doesn’t mean they are opening their wallets all the time. They’re still very, very bargain-conscious.” For more on what this means for the economy, read the full article here. (More consumer spending stories.)

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