From Cynthia Scott of OMC Financial Services:
Retailers enjoyed a great Black Friday but will consumers continue to spend this holiday season?
**Holiday shopping includes both Hanukkah and Christmas
**Consumers spending was up 6.6% from last year thanks to stores opening earlier than normal
**Price is the biggest factor in how consumer spend for the holidays and the primary reason retailers began promotions earlier than last year
**The Internet is playing a larger role each year in consumer spending habits; online shopping was up 39% on Thanksgiving and 24% on Black Friday.
**Cyber Monday begins today and will be an additional barometer as to how much consumers will continue to spend
**Even though consumer confidence is low, there is an enormous amount of pent up demand
**Investing in retailing stocks for profit in the 4th quarter of each year is becoming more and more challenging since it not only includes store sales, but online shopping as well
