Syracuse, N.Y. — Black Friday and the rest of the holiday shopping season is often the make or break period of the year for retailers.
Regardless of what you think of all the hype, stores really do rake in a lot of money around the holidays. Call it rampant consumerism fueled by corporate greed if you want to, but the spending is real.
The predictions and projections about how much money changes hands throughout the season, and on Thanksgiving weekend in particular, are often gaudy. And wrong occasionally, of course.
But that doesn't make it any less fun to gawk. So here's a look at Thanksgiving, Black Friday and holiday shopping, by the numbers.
4.1: The percentage increase in projected holiday sales for 2014. Sales rose 3.1 percent in 2013. The 10-year average is 2.9 percent
$616.9 billion: The total amount of sales expected during the holiday season of November and December.
8 - 11: The projected percentage increase in online holiday sales. Non-store holiday sales rose 8.6 percent last year.
$105 billion: The total amount of projected online holiday sales.
725,000 - 800,000: The total number of seasonal employees retailers will hire this year. Retailers hired 768,000 seasonal workers a year ago.
6: As in 6 a.m. As in the time Kmart stores will open on Thanksgiving morning.
42: As in Kmart stores will be open 42 hours straight from the time they open on Thanksgiving to the time they close at midnight on Black Friday.
140.1 million: The number of people who definitely will or might shop over Thanksgiving weekend.
95.5 million: The number of people who will or may shop on Black Friday.
25.6 million: The number of people who will or may shop on Thanksgiving.
44: The percentage of holiday shopping the average consumer will do online.
$718: The average amount consumers will spend on the holiday gifts in 2014.
61: The percentage of consumers planning to shop in a physical store on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
45: The percentage of people who plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day.
49: The percentage of people who started or planned to start their holiday shopping in September.
If you're one of the millions who will be out shopping over the weekend, tweet us at #cnyblackfriday. We'll have full coverage.
Sources: National Retail Federation, Shop.org, Accenture
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