Posted: 6:17 AM Nov 26, 2012
Reporter: NBC News

Spending up on Thanksgiving, Black Friday

It was a shopping bonanza for both retailers and shoppers during the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend, especially on Thanksgiving Day.

It's estimated that more than 35 million people ventured away from their turkey dinners to take advantage of deals both in stores and on line. That's up 6 million over last year.

Overall spending was also up this year, a good sign for the economy.

According to a National Retail Federation survey, more than 89 million shoppers braved the crowds on Black Friday, up 3 million from last year.

The average holiday shopper spent $423 this weekend. Last year, people spent an average of $398.

This year, consumers spent more of their holiday budget online, with the average person spending $172.

And one interesting note: a lot of people aren't waiting for Santa to bring their gift this year. Eight in ten shoppers purchased "self gifts" over the weekend.

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