Black Friday Disappoints

According to the WSJ, Black Friday wasn’t as big a hit as the traffic numbers suggest.

Black Friday sales rose only slightly from a year ago even though more shoppers visited stores, retail traffic monitor ShopperTrak said Saturday, setting the stage for another uncertain holiday season for retailers.

Sales increased 0.3% to $10.7 billion, according to ShopperTrak, which installs monitoring devices in stores to gauge traffic. Traffic rose by 2.2%, ShopperTrak said.

There are some other interesting bits of data in the report. For instance, online sales were up 16% YOY and cell phone purchases weren’t that big a deal.

I found the regional breakdown the most interesting. Sales were up 1.7% in the Northeast and 0.4% in the Midwest while in the West sales were flat and down 0.3% in the South. That’s a reminder that the effects of the recession and subsequent recovery aren’t evenly dispersed. In fact, it’s a reminder that the recovery exists tentatively if at all in certain areas.

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About Tom Lindmark 401 Articles

I’m not sure that credentials mean much when it comes to writing about things but people seem to want to see them, so briefly here are mine. I have an undergraduate degree in economics from an undistinguished Midwestern university and masters in international business from an equally undistinguished Southwestern University. I spent a number of years working for large banks lending to lots of different industries. For the past few years, I’ve been engaged in real estate finance – primarily for commercial projects. Like a lot of other finance guys, I’m looking for a job at this point in time.

Given all of that, I suggest that you take what I write with the appropriate grain of salt. I try and figure out what’s behind the news but suspect that I’m often delusional. Nevertheless, I keep throwing things out there and occasionally it sticks. I do read the comments that readers leave and to the extent I can reply to them. I also reply to all emails so feel free to contact me if you want to discuss something at more length. Oh, I also have a very thick skin, so if you disagree feel free to say so.

Enjoy what I write and let me know when I’m off base – I probably won’t agree with you but don’t be shy.

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1 Comment on Black Friday Disappoints

  1. another head fake bites the dust, and nobody wants to see the real retail numbers when they come out in jan.talk about bad, glad i don’t own any retail

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