Black Friday 2016 Recap

This past weekend was Black Friday...and I say "weekend" because Black Friday is no longer just on Friday, it's the entire holiday weekend. I, for one, am a good example as I went Black Friday shopping on Tuesday night before any of the crowds hit.

This year saw more shoppers than ever, although with very different shopping behaviors. I, for one, am also a good example as I never participate in Black Friday yet this year I couldn't help myself and bought a tv. For myself, not even as a gift!

Deep discounts ruled the shopping carts, to no surprise (the tv I bought was under $300!!). So although there were more shoppers, the average cart was lower than prior years. Most analysts are thanking deeper discounts for that phenomenon from retailers across the board including luxury outlets like Neiman Marcus.

Online shopping wasn't reserved just for Cyber Monday, another "weekend" event. Online sales on Black Friday were bigger than ever too, thanks to the proliferation of shopping and price comparison apps that made shopping online easier than ever, even if you were standing in a brick and mortar outlet. And of course thanks to Amazon as they took the lead online. Naturally.

Online sales on Monday did end up surpassing Friday, but again it's better to measure total weekend impact than just one day...proving once again that online sales keep growing and growing year over year not only in volume but in household penetration as well.

The question is...Is Black Friday over? Not by a long shot. Calling it a "weekend" isn't even fair anymore, as it's more like a season that is just beginning. Analysts are calling for more and more deep discounts as we count down the holiday shopping days.

So stay tuned...what's your experience? JIM