Valley shoppers, retailers readying for bigger Black Friday

YOUNGSTOWN

Ina Madison, 67, of Youngstown is a committed shopper. So, it’s no surprise that she plans to head out for the Black Friday shopping experience that starts Thanksgiving Day.

“I love the friendliness and the hustle and bustle of it,” she said. “I think it’s the love that’s shown in a lot of places. It’s like [there’s] a genuine concern the salespeople have.”

Madison is one of millions of shoppers who are prepping to buy as retailers get their shops ready. Typical of many shoppers, she also plans to buy holiday gifts on Cyber Monday.

This year, the National Retail Federation expects sales between November and December – excluding autos, gas and restaurant sales – to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion year-over-year.

Nonstore sales are expected to increase

between 7 percent and 10 percent to as much $17 billion.

Read more about the situation in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.