Today marks the official start of the holiday shopping season, with a day many retailers refer to as "Black Friday." Doug Johnson of the Wisconsin Merchants Federation says holiday shoppers are expected to spend nearly $457 billion this season. That breaks down to an average spent of about $800 per shopper.

Holiday spending is expected to go towards many areas, but most shoppers are also expected to spend about $100 on themselves this year. Johnson says seasonal sales in Wisconsin are expected to top $9 billion.

WIBA's John Colbert contributed to this report.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:05)

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