Shoppers Hit It

The rise of online shopping has given rise to so-called Cyber Mondays throughout the season, as workers return to their desks after the weekend to make transactions on the Web. The Saturday before Christmas also has become a retail event that has overshadowed Black Friday to some degree.

The Friday after Thanksgiving has long been known as Black Friday on Wall Street since many retailers have typically become profitable for the year on that day as the holiday shopping season begins in earnest.

This year, analysts are expecting decent holiday sales gains for the retail industry, although the pace is expected to slow from last year. The National Retail Federation projects a 5% gain in total holiday sales for the two-month period of November and December. Last year, the industry recorded a sales gain of 6.1%.

The International Council of Shopping Centers estimates that overall same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, will rise 3% for the period, less than last year's 3.6%.

Hastings says this year's season could enjoy a last-minute surge because Christmas falls on a Monday, giving shoppers a full weekend to finish off their lists.

"I think we're going to see some deep, last-minute discounts that weekend, and it could have some big implications for the season," says Hastings.

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints