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US Shoppers Crowd Stores for Black Friday Deals

   VOA News 26 November 2010
   Hundreds  of  early-morning  shoppers,  got  in  line the night before
   hoping  to snag a deal on Black Friday at Best Buy in Atlanta, 26 Nov.
   2010

Photo: AP

   Hundreds of early-morning shoppers get in line the night before hoping
   to snag a deal on Black Friday at Best Buy in Atlanta, 26 Nov 2010

   U.S.  shoppers  are  rushing  into stores for "Black Friday" discounts
   after  standing  in  line  for hours, and in some cases, days, to take
   advantage  of  deals  on  the  day  seen  as  the start of the holiday
   shopping season.
   Many  stores  began  greeting  shoppers before dawn Friday, while some
   opened  as  early  as  Thursday,  when  Americans were celebrating the
   Thanksgiving holiday.
   Black  Friday  is what retailers call the day after Thanksgiving, when
   holiday  sales  help  their businesses "move into the black," a common
   term for making a profit.
   Customers crowded Walmart, Best Buy and other major stores, scrambling
   to scoop up bargains on everything from high-definition televisions to
   toys.
   Many  retailers  are  also  offering  Black Friday specials online for
   those looking to avoid the chaos of in-store shopping.
   The  National  Retail Federation predicts holiday sales this year will
   increase by 2.3 percent from last year to more than $447 billion.
   The  2 percent boost would be an improvement from last year's increase
   of  0.4 percent and the nearly 4 percent drop retailers experienced in
   2008.
   This  year's  Black Friday event has many companies focused on keeping
   sales  up  as  the  economy  continues  to  recover from the worldwide
   recession.
   Some  dedicated  shoppers  camped out for days to make sure they would
   not miss out on the low prices.