Black Friday results for 2009 poor but promising?

How do you think the 2009 Black Friday sales will look once the retail shopping stats are released?  According to early reports, the Black Friday results show that while consumers were loading up on bargains, sales are likely to be down for the second straight year, due to economic turmoil.  One report says the number may be lower than last year's, which is definitely a good sign.  Last year saw a 3.4% drop in sales, while this year is expected to be only a 1% drop, signaling that times may be getting better.

While the crowds were bigger than previous years, they weren't there for major shopping extravaganzas.  This year, early bird bargain hunters were out in droves to clean up on the Black Friday sales deals that were offered.  Beyond that, the crowds seemed to dwindle as the day went on.  Many consumers are still cutting back on their spending, while some observed November 27th as "Buy Nothing Day".

Cyber Monday 2009 may be the bigger holiday when compared to 2009 Black Friday results.  On November 30th, many online retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart, Target and more will offer special deals and incentives to internet shoppers.  Amazon in particular has been running daily specials and deals which will last through Cyber Monday. Check out Amazon's Black Friday / Cyber Monday 2009 deals for more info.  Free shipping and discounted prices on full orders should entice those customers who stayed in for Black Friday to shop online instead.

Read more about Black Friday results at Christian Science Monitor.