The Black Friday shopping frenzy kicks off a busy holiday for the retail industry, but longer lines in aisle may not indicate more consumer spending.
Holiday sales are expected to increase by 2.8-percent this year, up to 465-billion dollars. Economist Jack Kleinhenz says that's consistant with our cautious economy. She says Consumer prices continue to rise alongside a dwindling housing market. Retailers are expecting to see more shoppers, but this year's minimal growth is far lower than the 5.2-percent increase from last year.
And if you're looking for that great promotional deal, you might be doing your window shopping online.
A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found social media will play a big role in how shoppers follow big sales this holiday season. The study shows 17-percent of shoppers will turn to company Facebook pages, while another 11-percent will check out 'group-buying' sites likes Groupon and Living-social.
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