Black Friday Shoppers Spend $52 Billion

Nearly 25 percent (24.4 percent) of Black Friday shoppers were at the stores by midnight on Black Friday, either waiting for stores to open or visiting retailers who opened the night before. Last year, the number of people who were at the stores at midnight was 9.5 percent, according to the NRF.

"After an historic holiday weekend, retailers know the holiday season is far from over and will continue to look for ways to keep excite holiday shoppers and build on the momentum we’ve seen thus far," says Matthew Shay, president and chief executive officer of the NRF.

The NPD Group reported, however, that while shoppers hit stores on Thursday and Friday, the momentum failed to carry through the holiday weekend. This year 56 percent of consumers that shopped on Black

The early shoppers came prepared to spend. Stores that opened at midnight or earlier saw a 24 percent (on average) boost in their conversion. In addition, 46 percent of shoppers bought something for themselves, up from 35 percent last year.

“Black Friday may have come in with a roar, but is going out with a whimper,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group. “While record numbers took advantage of the door-buster deals and the early hour deals, it appears that is where most of the action was.”