ShopperTrak released an initial report that shows that sales for Black Friday 2010 increased only slightly over 2009 sales. 2010 Black Friday sales rose 0.3% over last year, while the number of customers in stores increased 2.2%.While the NRF was reporting:
A total of about 212 million shoppers hit stores between Thanksgiving Day on Thursday and Sunday, an increase of 8.7 percent compared with the same period in 2009, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.
Interesting stat from NPD Group (see full article below) showed that 33% of shoppers were buying for themselves, up from 26% during a normal holiday season.
I went out about 3:15 AM on Black Friday and I've included my quick video reports here. Some quick highlights about what I saw:
- Stores were packed. People were waiting in long lines to get the good deals.
- Stores with signs advertising 20% - 30% off were mostly empty. The threshold seemed to have been 40% off to get people in the doors. My big question is what will these deep discounts do to profit margins. I also wonder if people will continue shopping now that Black Friday is over or if they'll wait a few weeks to see what deals retailers offer next.
- As was reported by NPD, my anecdotal experience also showed that people were buying for themselves as well. At Target, people were leaving with multiple TV sets and I saw lots of people waiting to get deals on shoes, which I'm guessing they weren't buying as gifts!
- Although I did get there a little late (about 4 AM), the Toys R Us store by me was busy, but not nearly as crowded as the other stores I visited. I wonder if people were shopping at places like Target and Walmart to get deals on more then one category.
- Kudos to the retailers I visited for being well-prepared for Black Friday. I saw lots of staff on store floors and all the registers manned. Even with that, there were long lines everywhere I went.
I'll continue posting my experiences from the field during the entire holiday season and please comment on your experiences shopping this year as well. Let's see if the hype matches the reality this year.
Some people did shop until they dropped!
One of the few stores using alternatives methods for getting good deals.
My first stop, Kohl's
Kohl's wrap
My arrival at Best Buy
Best Buy wrap up
Toys R Us
Arriving at Target
Inside Target
Target Wrap
Willowbrook Mall
The line to pay at Kohl's, it went all the way through the store.
The electronics department at Target was their busiest area
Even with every register open, the lines at Target were ridiculous!
Black Friday 2010 News Reports
Black Friday weekend to help retailers beat Street | Reuters.
Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Success: Many Buy for Themselves, Says NPD - WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS.
Black Friday 2010 Score Card: Online Shopping Stats, Top Brand Tweets.
ADDITIONAL READING ON RETAIL