Some 128 million people will shop this holiday weekend

As retailers prepare to open their doors at the crack of dawn, many could be in for a welcome surprise. According to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation, up to 128 million people will shop this Friday, Saturday or Sunday. According to the survey, 49 million people will definitely hit the stores while another 79 million are waiting to see the weekend deals before making any decisions. This number is down slightly from the 135 million people who said they would or may shop over Black Friday weekend last year.

For the first time since March 2005, the average price of self-serve, unleaded gasoline is $1.91, leaving shoppers with a little extra padding in their wallets. While consumers are still expected to pull back in their holiday purchases, pent up demand from consumers who have been waiting all year long for great deals could also bode well for some retailers.

“Retailers realize that low prices will get consumers into stores this holiday season, and this could be the most heavily promotional Black Friday in history,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. “Shoppers who held off buying a DVD player or winter coat over the last few months will find that prices may literally be too good to pass up.”

NRF will release the results of its Black Friday weekend retail survey by 4:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 30. The release will also be available at www.nrf.com/holidays at that time. Information will include what time people started shopping on Black Friday, where they shopped, how much they spent, and what they bought. NRF will also be releasing findings from a new survey on the number of people expected to shop on Cyber Monday.