U.S. Retailers Hopeful For Profit Boost During Post-Thanksgiving Weekend

On average, shoppers plan to spend $400 on Black Friday alone, according to a survey by mall developer Taubman Centers Inc. The Thanksgiving weekend represents about 10% of retailers' holiday-season sales, according to a CBS Marketwatch analyst estimate.

A survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs showed that forty-five percent of consumers report that they plan to shop on Black Friday or during the weekend after Thanksgiving.

"These results are somewhat surprising on many fronts," said Michael P. Niemira, ICSC chief economist. "The percentage of shoppers who plan to take advantage of those holiday bargains rose appreciably from the prior year (45 percent versus 36 percent in 2007) and, secondly, so too did the share of consumers who will be shopping for themselves (81 percent versus 69 percent in 2007)," he added. "These results further underscore how pent-up demand can be triggered by the right set of promotions and events, but also how some potentially strong sales days can co-exist with a weak underlying sales trend."

'Black Friday' did, however, take a violent turn as over-zealous shoppers trampled a Walmart worker to death in Long Island, NY. The 34-year-old Queens man died after 'hundreds' of people flooded the store.