Icy-

Both points are right. Last year's sales were down, and black Friday was up.

My point was-- I listened carefully on Saturday (day after black Friday) to see just *how bad* things were-- and was shocked when the CC companies announced that sales were higher! (not a lot higher, but still--- does everyone remember how scared the world was a year ago today?).

But having a black Friday that was *up* didn't fit w/the doom and gloom message the media was sending out-- it wasn't part of their message.

So it got downplayed. Or didn't get mentioned AT ALL.

Consumer confidence is a fickle thing. It's based on emotion, in large part. I'd like to think that, if the media had shouted "BLACK FRIDAY SALES UP!!!" last year, that perhaps overall sales would not have been down 3% (or whatever they were, I do think they were down).

Another thing hits me, though-- if we were in such a tailspin, we should have been seeing sales drop by double digits-- like 20% off the previous year. That didn't happen.

Again, the media could have done a LOT to improve or feed consumer confidence-- but they didn't.

******

On another topic, Icy, Black Friday is critical to many retailers. Some say it's called BLACK because, for many retailers, it's the day that they "cross over into the black" on their balance sheets-- they sell so much, and make so much profit-- that they finally start to show a profit overall for the entire year.

More info here.

So while one day may not seem that important, it can really make a difference in your overall "health" for the year, as a business. One of the first retail stores I worked in was Tech HiFi (back in the early 1980s). Their biggest sale of the year was Washington's Birthday (in February). They did it then to help them w/cashflow for the entire year. And it really did-- Tech Hifi stores sold as much in that one day than we did most MONTHS. Sure, we had amazing deals (much like Black Friday). But overall, the company made an enormous profit-- and used it to help fund their entire year.

-Russ H.

PS Randall-- thanks for your thoughts, as always. I agree that sales days have been spiking-- and folks out looking for bargains. Another big factor-- which you mention-- is that online sales each year are bigger and bigger. So while the press may sometimes focus on B&M stores, they need to also account for the billions of $$$ being spent online.