Black Friday sees shopping boost thanks to earlier store hours

 

The economy might still be in the doldrums, but that didn’t stop huge crowds from lining up on Black Friday.

 

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The economy might still be in the doldrums, but that didn’t stop huge crowds from turning out for Black Friday shopping deals. 

Up to 152 million shoppers are expected over the course of Black Friday weekend, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation. That is a significant increase over the 138 million who planned to do so in 2010. 

Sales were buoyed by longer shopping hours as stores rolled back opening times to Thanksgiving night.

“We fully expect to see excited shoppers as early as midnight at stores around the country, as many holiday shoppers would rather stay up all night to take advantage of retailers’ Black Friday deals rather than set their alarm to wake up the next morning,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a news release.

Such a turnout is a hopeful sign as the American economy continues to struggle. Consumers continued to increase their spending for the fifth straight month in October as retail sales climbed to $397.7 billion, according to the Commerce Department.

Black Friday wasn’t all fun for some, however. A woman reportedly pepper-sprayed fellow shoppers at a Los Angeles-area Wal-Mart to keep them from the deals she wanted.

Twenty people suffered minor injuries, according to local news reports. The store remained open as police searched for the suspect.

Other incidents of violence were reported across the country. Gunfire reportedly erupted at a Fayetteville, N.C., mall and two were injured during a fight at an upstate New York Wal-Mart, according to news reports. 

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