Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                     More US Shoppers Shifting to ECommerce

   by VOA News

   The U.S. holiday shopping season got off to a slow start last Thursday,
   as the number of people seeking bargains in stores and online fell from
   last year.

   The Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday is traditionally the largest
   shopping day of the year, and a time when many merchants make enough
   money to go from loss to profit. Bookkeepers record losses in red ink
   and profits in black ink, giving rise to the term "Black Friday" for
   this key part of the business year.

   The [1]National Retail Federation says more than 133 million Americans
   shopped in person or online since Thursday. That is down more than 5
   percent from the same period last year.

   Retailers are watching online sales closely Monday because "Cyber
   Monday" has seen a shopping peak in the past four years as a growing
   number of shoppers avoided crowded stores and made purchases online.

   ComScore, which tracks online commerce, said the first few weeks of
   November saw stronger online sales than the same period last year.




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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/more-us-shoppers-shifting-to-e-commer
   ce/2541182.html

References

   1. http://nrf.com/media/press-releases/early-promotions-online-shopping-and-improving-economy-changing-the-face-of
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/more-us-shoppers-shifting-to-e-commerce/2541182.html