Happy Black Friday! Experts Predict 159 Million People Ready To Shop This Weekend
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It's officially one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and retailers are looking forward to the big boost in black Friday business.
Beginning early Friday morning, folks lined up at the Best Buy in Hurst for two things, Sony Playstations and the black Friday experience.
"We kind of wanted the experience of going out early in the morning and getting the feel for it," said shopper Sam Tolson.
Black Friday is practically another holiday itself for retailers, and luckily for them, consumer spending is expected to be strong.
The National Retail Federation predicts about 158 million people will open up their wallets this weekend, up two million from last year.
Half of those folks are expected to shop today.
"People are trying to get back out there!" said shopper Ethan French.
And getting back out there, they are.
The organization believes that in person shopping is slightly preferred this year, as many folks are trying to avoid issues with the supply chain.
"We are seeing consumers really move up their holiday shopping timeline, not just for this historical trend, but also because of some concerns around supply chain distributions and inventory issues," said Katherine Cullen of the National Retail Federation.
They also believe despite recent inflation, more people are doing financially better this holiday season, and are ready to make up for last year.
"Well, consumers are really in a favorable position this year. WE have had the added benefit of stimulus. Certainly incomes have grown," said Jack Kleinhenz, Chief Economist for the NFR.
All that to say, it's expected to be an expensive weekend.
