By Staci DaSilva
sdasilva@kcautv.com
Lots of bird and big-time bargains, that's what thanksgiving is all about these days.
The shopping frenzy started late Thursday night. Department stores like Target and Sears opening earlier than ever.
A change that proved to be very successful and may have been what affected Black Friday sales.
You see, consumers across the country spent just over $11 billion on Black Friday. That's actually down nearly 2% from last year.
Meanwhile, online sales rose more than 17% on Thanksgiving Day and more than 20% on Friday.
The next day, small businesses were the focus as shoppers pulled out their credit cards for the now annual, "Small Business Saturday."
But bargain shoppers aren't done yet because Monday isn't just any Monday, it's Cyber Monday. That's when businesses claim to put their best sales just a mouse click away.
It's not only shopping of the 21st century, but shopping of utter convenience, literally from your home..
Cyber Monday's grown into Cyber Week. But buyers beware! You may not find the cheapest deals online.
Some companies may hold back on steeper discounts until the first weeks in December.
