The Black Friday creep seems to have paid off for retailers (even as it casts a dubious shadow over Thanksgiving), as shoppers shelled out about $25 more per person during this year’s Thanksgiving-centered sales last week. Of course in many cases, Black Friday wasn’t even limited to just Friday, with plenty of retailers hosting sales and opening their doors on Thanksgiving. Overall, shoppers spent about 13% more than we did last year.

On average, shoppers spent $423 during the Thursday to Sunday time period, with overall totaling around $59.1 billion, said a survey by the National Retail Federation (via the Washington Post):

“I think the only way to describe the Thanksgiving openings is to call it a huge win,” said Matthew Shay the trade group’s president and chief executive. Shopping, he said, “has really become an extension of the day’s festivities.”

If it felt a bit crowded at the stores last week, that’s because it was — around 35 million people were shopping on Thursday, either in physical stores or online. That’s an increase of 6 million from last year, but compared to the 89 million who showed up for Black Friday sales on Friday itself, it’s basically peanuts.

There were just more people out over the entire shopping period than there were last year, which goes to show that it might not just be Black Friday that’s creeping back. The multi-day spectacle of doorbusting sales is simply oozing in every direction.

This shopping frenzy might just be a flash in the pan so far as the holiday season itself goes. The National Retail Federation says sales will be up this year, but not by as much as they increased between 2011 and 2010. Americans are expected to spend $749.51 per person on average this year.

Did you shop the Black Friday/Thanksgiving sales and come out of it happy or fed up? Send your Black Friday horror stores to us at tips@consumerist.com.

Thanksgiving weekend sales better than last year [Washington Post]

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