More shoppers, more spending, but no revised holiday spending forecast

Shoppers lured by deep discounts and early store openings sent sales over the four days starting on Thanksgiving soaring 16.7 percent over the same period a year ago to $52.4 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.  “American consumers are taking a deep breath and making the decision that it’s okay to go shopping again, in spite of high unemployment and uncertainty over the stock market and housing market,” Ellen Davis, vice president of the trade group, said during a media briefing Sunday.

Click to read full story: More shoppers, more spending, but no revised holiday spending forecast (Washington Post, 11-27-11)