Black Friday Sales Increase

According to research firm ShoperTrak, Black Friday sales increase 3% over last year. Still, ShopperTrak says that's the smallest gain for "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving) sales in three years--2007 Black Friday sales were 8.3% higher than in 2006. And the data is also tempered by the fact that many retailers offered deeply discounted items, which cuts into their profitability. On the online sales side, Amazon and eBay say their sales jumped on Friday--Amazon says topsellers include the iPod Touch, Canon Powershot camera, and Nintendo Wii console whereas the Nintendo Wii was the most searched-for item on eBay--but both are forecasting weaker holiday sales. Additionally, with Thanksgiving falling late this year, there are five fewer shopping days this holiday season than last year.