Survey Says Fewer People Will Shop In-Store on Black Friday this Year

Many folks already have their Christmas wish lists in hand and are ready to get shopping and avoid the holiday mayhem of the mall. So with Black Friday just four weeks away, will consumers come out in droves to score Black Friday deals?

Analysts project that this year's turnout at stores could be the lowest in three years. According to Accenture's holiday shopping survey (as reported by Daily Finance), this year's Black Friday deals will need to be really exclusive in order to bring out a sizeable number of in-store shoppers. Their survey of 500 consumers found that more than half plan to skip the Black Friday camp-out, and many aim to postpone their holiday shopping until after Black Friday.

What's on your Black Friday Wish List?
While Black Friday is not the biggest shopping day of the year (we busted this Black Friday myth and 14 others!), it's still the traditional start to the holiday shopping season. So what, besides rock-bottom prices, is everyone on the hunt for? According to the survey, 54% of shoppers have apparel on their gift-giving list. Other consumers are looking for the best deals on electronics, gadgets, and computers. And who could forget about toys (36%)! But will shoppers be willing to wait in lines early in the morning for new HDTVs or one of Toys "R" Us' Fabulous 15 toys?

Shoppers will be Savvier with Instant Deals
So why has the number of consumers willing to shop in-store on Black Friday gone down? The survey also reports that more than half of consumers plan on using their smartphone or computer to secure the best deals on gifts via instant price comparisons and available coupon codes. With smartphone apps like Amazon's Price Check and dealnews' own deal-hunting app, 43% of consumers bet they'll score a better deal by searching online rather than shopping in-store on Black Friday.

We asked dealnews readers what their Black Friday shoppings plans were, and found that a good 41% (of 471 polled) also plan to skip the pre-dawn mayhem and shop online. The results of our Black Friday Shopping Plans Poll reflect the attitudes of already-thirfty shoppers. And with the percent of folks who are skipping Black Friday all together (15%), retailers may feel the pressure to offer big markdowns this holiday season. [Daily Finance]

Front page photo credit: CincySavers.com