NEW YORK (AP) — Stores are welcoming a second wave of shoppers in what has become a two-day kickoff to
the holiday shopping season.
status as the start of the holiday shopping season?
Last year, sales on Black Friday slumped 13.2 percent to $9.74 billion, according to ShopperTrak, which
tracks data at more than 70,000 stores globally. Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, says how stores
will fare Friday is uncertain.
With stores pushing more deals earlier in the month, the holiday weekend has become less important. But
the period still sets the tone for the shopping season, whose sales are expected to rise 4.1 percent to
$611.9 billion. That would be the biggest increase since 2011.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
