CHICAGO — Shoppers spent only slightly more during their Black Friday shopping sprees than they did last year, according to data released Saturday by a research firm.
At the same time, a much smaller group, which accounted for only a fraction of overall sales, shopped online and dramatically boosted their spending.
More than a year after the economy’s collapse began rattling shoppers, industry observers said the shopping sprees Friday — totaling $10.66 billion nationwide — offered a strong start to the holiday season.
“We have struggled for a long time, and one of the ways for the economy to get going again is for the consumer to begin to spend more freely,” said Bill Martin, co-founder of research firm ShopperTrak, which released its sales figures Saturday. “And I think this is an indication they were willing to do that.”
The traditional shopping spree — dubbed Black Friday because it often was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into “the black,” or profitability, for the year — has marked the kickoff of holiday shopping for many consumers.
But its importance has faded in recent years as merchants started hawking the deep discounts usually reserved for that day well in advance.
Still, the day is often used as an important barometer of shoppers’ mind-set: what kinds of items they’re buying and what kind of discounts will lure them.
Stores offered deals on more practical items to woo recession-weary shoppers who more than ever might want gifts that the recipients will really appreciate.
Shop-by-television sales were strong at the TV shopping network QVC, which said its Black Friday sales totaled $32 million — up almost 60 percent from last year, thanks to its first push to promote its post-Thanksgiving deals.
Shoppers rack up big numbers
• Shoppers spent $10.66 billion in stores the day after Thanksgiving, according to preliminary sales data from research firm ShopperTrak, which tracks sales at more than 50,000 stores. That’s a 0.5 percent increase over last year.
• The average amount online shoppers spent on Black Friday rose 35 percent as shoppers spent roughly $170.19 per order — up from $126.04 last year, according to Web marketing analyst Coremetrics.
