Nielsen releases Black Friday spending projections

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. Consumers shopping this Black Friday will spend in a “mindful manner,” according to a new Nielsen survey.

While 1-in-5 Americans confirmed they will shop on Black Friday, 61% of those surveyed said that they only planned to spend $100 to $500, and 60% of those surveyed will be armed with a shopping list. Other findings included:

• Of the 19% of Americans planning to shop Black Friday, 10% will be shopping Black Friday for the first time;
• More than three-quarters (76%) said Nielsen they will be shopping at department stores on Black Friday, while 55% will shop at supercenters/mass merchandiser stores and 52% will shop at electronics stores. Other Black Friday shopping locations include: toy stores (35%), online (23%), and dollar stores (22%); and
• The top buys on Black Friday will include apparel (64%), electronics (60%) and toys (47%).

“Consumers continue to closely plan their spending in this persistently difficult economic climate and for Black Friday that means shopping lists,” said James Russo,VP global consumer insights at Nielsen. “Consumers are increasingly savvy and know that retailers will continue to offer aggressive promotions as we work our way through this critical retail season.”

Nielsen surveyed more than 1,400 consumers, demographically and geographically representative of the total U.S. population.