Nov 20, 2008 9:54 am US/Eastern
Black Friday Will Be Busier Than Ever This Year
Shoppers Will Be Looking For Bargains On Video Games 7 iPods
NEW YORK (CBS4) ―
While many people have said they are going to spend less this year on holiday gifts then they did last year, that won't keep them out of the malls on Black Friday.
In fact, more shoppers this year compared to last year have said they will be out bargain hunting and looking for great deals on the day after Thanksgiving, according to a new holiday poll by
Consumer Reports.
More than a quarter (26%) who took part in the survey said they planned to brave the crowds and parking nightmares on Black Friday to look for deals; that's up nearly 5 percent from 2007.
Fighting the crowds and hunting down those blockbuster deals may be a game for the young, the biggest percentage (36%) of those who are planning to hit the malls are between the ages of 18 and 34.
Retailers hoping that the big crowds will translate into big profits may be in luck because the poll found holiday shoppers have gotten off to a slow start this year. Only 38 percent said they had already started their holiday shopping compared to 43 percent who had started by this time two years ago.
So what is the number one item shoppers will be looking for bargains on? Nearly 85 percent said they planned on buying electronics on Black Friday, up more than 15 percentage points from last season. Within the electronics category video-game systems (46%) and iPods or other MP3 players (43%) top the list.
(Consumer Reports)
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