Last week was Black Friday and according to new reports, Americans spent slightly more than last year. Retail spending for the day after Thanksgiving rose 0.3% to $10.69 billion, up from last year's $10.66 billion.
Two factors behind the slim increase, a disappointment following bullish reports from stores Friday, were heavy discounts earlier in November and online shopping, which saw a big increase.
Chicago research firm Shoppertrak, which tallies sales in more than 70,000 retail outlets across the country, said the total was still a record for the day. It stood behind its prediction for spending to rise 3.2 percent for the season.
"It's hard to say Black Friday wasn't a success, it's just not the success we saw in the mid-2000s, when the day really became a phenomenon," ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin said.