By Ruth Ferguson, NDG Editor
Well either the Republicans are celebrating their victory or Democrats are drowning their sorrows in retail therapy, but the retail registers were singing on the 2016 edition of Black Friday. Target stores report selling 3,200 TVs every minute during the first hour the store was open. According to TechCrunch sales for Black Friday reached a record-breaking $3 billion, with one-third of that total coming from mobile sales.
According to TechCrunch sales for Black Friday reached a record-breaking $3 billion, with one-third of that total coming from mobile sales. Amazon says sales online on Black Friday exceeded 2015’s Cyber Monday sales with Echo Dot and their Fire TV a popular choice with shoppers.
This probably helps to explain why many retailers were not overwhelmed with crowds when they first opened their doors. For those willing to wait for gratification, they can simply enjoy shopping in their pjs and skip the long lines and early morning cold weather.
Apparently, when they let their fingers do the walking, it is on a mobile device more often than a laptop. Walmart’s online sales were via mobile more than 70 percent transactions.
A few of the other highlights from Target’s Black Friday reflect what the hot trends for this Christmas season include:
- Apple products were among the most popular deals, with guests taking advantage of savings on the iPad Air 2, iPad Pro and Apple Watch Series 1.
- Wearables saw a 50 percent sales increase, including the Fitbit Charge HR.
- Top-selling toys included LEGO, NERF, Our Generation and the Jetson V6 Hoverboard, which sold out in minutes on Target.com.
- Target sold five times more wireless headphones this Black Friday compared to last year, including the popular Powerbeats Wireless In-Ear Headphone 2.
- Robotic vacuums, including the Hoover Quest 700 Robotic Vacuum, generated 10 times the sales compared to last year.
