Black Friday Sales Surge This Year - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Washington, D.C.-This year, retailers nationally raked in over 59 billion dollars in Black Friday sales -- that's up from 52 billion last year. Shoppers spent an average of $423, a six percent jump from last year. The National Retail Federation says that Black Friday reached over 247 million shoppers.

Analysts say early store openings and more aggressive deals are what brought shoppers in. Nearly 30 percent of customers were in stores by midnight thanksgiving. Analysts also say there were more *young shoppers this time around, with people between 18 and 34 indulging in late-night shopping, compared with 25 percent of people between 35 and 54 who did the same.