(WXXI News & AP) Despite the frenzy you may have seen in some stores over the Thanksgiving weekend period, sales nationally were down compared to last year. Some estimates say that sales both in stores and online are estimated to have dropped 11 percent compared to the same time in 2013.
Retired RIT Marketing Professor Eugene Fram says that may be due to lingering concerns about the health of the economy.
"There's still opportunity to make up some ground but on the other hand don't forget there is a substantial part of the population that is still hurting from the recession.”
A trade group, the National Retail Federation, is estimating that overall, sales should be about four percent higher this holiday season compared to last year.
Retailers rolled out discounts and free shipping deals on Cyber Monday, with millions of Americans expected to log on and shop on their work computers, laptops and tablets after the busy holiday shopping weekend.
It appears more people shopped on Small Business Saturday than last year, but they spent less money. A survey released by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business says some 88 million people shopped at independent retailers, restaurants and other small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
That's up nearly 15 percent from last year. But the average shopper spent $162, down 11.5 percent from 2013.
