Black Friday as good as ever this year for local businesses

The Mirror appeared to contradict this with: “First Black Friday 2015 fight witnessed in United Kingdom”.

But the crowds didn’t ebb.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries.

“I heard they’re having them at JCPenny at 3 p.m”.

Black Friday can get pretty intense. American holiday shoppers are expected to spend almost $600 each on gifts this year, and more than $800 each on all holiday items, including decorations. The fight also knocked down a woman to the floor as shoppers at Mall St. Matthews looked onward.

“We had a lot of shoppers last night”, she said Friday afternoon. “So, the crowd keeps building and we’re prepared for a long day of shopping”, Monroeville Mall Spokeswoman Stacey Keating said. She and other shoppers are somewhat delirious but overall happy with what they’re describing as several hours of successful shopping.

Such melees on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year for USA stores and malls, have become nearly as traditional as watching National Football League games.

General Manager John Burgland said Black Friday has “morphed, and it continues to morph”.

And they provide additional sales boosts for retailers far and near. She said she doesn’t normally shop on Thanksgiving weekend, but she wanted to take part in her daughter’s tradition.

Saturday there’s a particular focus on buying from your local small businesses. Overall, the trade group estimated about 135.8 million people will be shopping during the four-day weekend, compared with 133.7 million a year ago.

The group also expects sales for the last two months of this year to be $630.5bn ($419bn). Never underestimate what people will do or the lengths they will go to, in order to get a good deal…or fight for one.