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News Image: Text decoration - bulletHoliday & Consumer Trends Image: Text decoration - bulletChristmas Winter Holidays Image: Text decoration - bulletHoliday Surveys Image: Text decoration - bullet2008 Image: Text decoration - bulletNovember 25, 2008

Preliminary Black Friday Survey Suggests Lower Gas Prices, Pent-Up Demand Offer Silver Lining for Weekend Shopping

For Immediate Release
Kathy Grannis (202)783-7971 or grannisk@nrf.com
www.nrf.com/holidays
 

Preliminary Black Friday Survey Suggests Lower Gas Prices, Pent-Up Demand Offer Silver Lining for Weekend Shopping
--NRF to Release Weekend Shopping Data by Sunday, 4:00 EST--

Washington, November 25, 2008 – As retailers prepare to open their doors at the crack of dawn this Friday, many could be in for a welcome surprise. According to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation, up to 128 million people will shop this Friday, Saturday or Sunday. According to the survey, 49 million people will definitely hit the stores while another 79 million are waiting to see the weekend deals before making any decisions. This number is down slightly from the 135 million people who said they would or may shop over Black Friday weekend last year.  

For the first time since March 2005, the average price of self-serve, unleaded gasoline is $1.91, leaving shoppers with a little extra padding in their wallets. While consumers are still expected to pull back in their holiday purchases, pent up demand from consumers who have been waiting all year long for great deals could also bode well for some retailers. 

“Retailers realize that low prices will get consumers into stores this holiday season, and this could be the most heavily promotional Black Friday in history,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. “Shoppers who held off buying a DVD player or winter coat over the last few months will find that prices may literally be too good to pass up.”  

NRF will release the results of its Black Friday weekend retail survey by 4:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 30. The release will also be available at www.nrf.com/holidays at that time. Information will include what time people started shopping on Black Friday, where they shopped, how much they spent, and what they bought. NRF will also be releasing findings from a new survey on the number of people expected to shop on Cyber Monday.

NRF’s offices will be closed on Black Friday and over the weekend, so please use the public relations team’s direct lines to set up print and broadcast interviews with NRF spokespeople as follow:

- Kathy Grannis at (202) 626-8189 or cell (202) 821-7513 or grannisk@nrf.com 
- Ellen Davis at (202) 626-8127 or cell (202) 222-8818 or davise@nrf.com    
- Scott Krugman at (202) 626-8119 or cell (202) 299-6721 or krugmans@nrf.com 

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2007 sales of $4.5 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.  ### 
 
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