Thanksgiving, Black Friday store sales fall, online rises

[jpak]

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sales and traffic at brick-and-mortar stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday declined from last year, as stores offered discounts well beyond the weekend and more customers shopped online.

Internet sales rose in the double digits on both days, surpassing $3 billion for the first time on Black Friday, according to data released on Saturday.

Data from analytics firm RetailNext showed net sales at brick-and-mortar stores fell 5.0 percent over the two days, while the number of transactions fell 7.9 percent.

Preliminary data from retail research firm ShopperTrak showed that shopper visits to such stores fell a combined 1 percent during Thanksgiving and Black Friday when compared with the same days in 2015.

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Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/thanksgiving-black-friday-store-sales-fall-online-rises/article_1e7b90d5-71c0-59d0-b009-0daee1a8e7d4.html

[Initech]

1. I saw no tent cities anywhere.

And for me the only thing I bought on Black Friday was a copy of the Weeknd's new album Starboy.

[GatorDem82]

2. That's what happens when

These retailers cheapened and devalued Black Friday by being greedier and greedier and opening their stores earlier and earlier to where they open at 5pm on Thanksgiving day. People essentially have to line up at noon if they want to catch a door buster. It's a shame. I remembered the fun of going out at 3am to line up for a 5am open. I refuse to shop on Thanksgiving day and have opted to shop online.

[Sunlei]

3. deals online were so awesome, free ship & one click buys, made me finish christmas shopping.

[jmowreader]

4. "Black Friday All Month Long" sales had something to do with it

Ten years ago, Black Friday sales happened the day after Thanksgiving, and not one microsecond before...and they ended at 12:59 pm Friday. Now? We had 150 to 200 skids of ad circulars in the building over the month of November, and a LOT of those ads had "Black Friday Starts Now!" "Black Friday All Month" or "Black Friday Till Christmas" written across the top of them. When people are Black Fridaying since Halloween, the actual Black Friday loses its luster.

[jehop61]

5. Too many retailers

chasing the almighty buck. Black Friday sales for cars, furniture, appliances, etc. actual realistic Holiday gifts are just secondary these days. Many are tuning out to all the noise.

[Afromania]

6. grrr

With every Black Friday article talking about sales I wonder how many of those same people didn't take the time to vote; and it burns me up. I hope they enjoyed it this year because next year it's going to be hold your ass and pray time.

[monmouth4]

7. I saw a cartoon where the classroom was empty on PTA Parents night, but mobbed for Black Friday..n/t

[YOHABLO]

8. This is a very good example of how Capitalism eats itself.