The holiday shopping season officially gets underway today.
For many people, Black Friday sales mark the start of holiday shopping season. Madison College retail expert Betty Hurd says analysts predict there will about an 11 percent increase in business today alone. Overall, Hurd says retailers are expecting a 3.6 percent increase in sales this year.
Hurd says some of the jump in Friday sales may be due to more retailers dropping plans for Thanksgiving Day sales, after facing a backlash over the move last year. While some businesses were open, start times for many sales were pushed back. “People are trying to be respectful of the consumer,” she says. “Family time is very precious, and we don’t get much of it anymore.”