Shoppers Boost U.S. Weekend Spending to $59.1 Billion, NRF Says

Shoppers turned out in bigger numbers and boosted purchasing over the Black Friday weekend, lured by promotions online and in stores, the National Retail Federation said today.

Customers spent $423 on average, a 6.3 percent increase from $398 last year, Washington-based NRF said in an e-mailed statement. Starting Thanksgiving Day, 89 million Americans visited stores and websites, up from 86 million a year earlier, for total spending of $59.1 billion.