NEW YORK (AP) -- The crowds of bargain shoppers rushing through store doors the day after Thanksgiving are thinning out.<br />
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U.S. shoppers spent $9.1 billion at stores on Black Friday, according to data out Saturday from ShopperTrak, a research firm. That's a drop of 7 percent compared with the same day last year.<br />
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But it's too early to call the holiday shopping season a dud. ShopperTrak says sales on Thanksgiving jumped 24 percent to $3.2 billion. And the figures don't include online sales.<br />
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The report suggests that more people are avoiding the long lines and crowds on Black Friday by avoiding time with the family on Thanksgiving Day. This year, more large retail stores decided to open their doors to eager shoppers for more hours on the holiday.
