Oklahomans Line Up for Black Friday Bargains

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY – -- Friday marked the start of the holiday shopping season. Oklahomans flocked to malls and shopping centers across the state looking for bargains.

Many shoppers were up before sun rise to stand in line for the best deals.

In Oklahoma and across the country the lines of shoppers were a welcome sight for retailers.

Stores ushered in the traditional start of the holiday shopping season with expanded hours and deep discounts on everything from toys to TVs in hopes of getting consumers, many of whom have slashed spending to focus on basics amid high unemployment and tight credit, to open their wallets.

Early reports from Best Buy and mall operator Taubman Centers offered some encouraging signs that consumers were buying more for themselves and that crowds were larger compared with last year. Toys R Us CEO Gerald Storch said that on average about 1,000 were in line for the midnight opening for each store.

"So far, we are seeing that consumer are willing to spend a little more than what was on their intended list," said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst at NPD Group Inc. "This is a big gift for retailers. It was missing from the equation last year."

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Black Friday Links
- BlackFriday2009.com
- Bfads.net
- BlackFriday.info
- TheBlackFriday.com
- BlackFridayAds.com
- Black-Friday.net