Crowds of shoppers flooded the stores Nov. 23, driving retail sales up, despite predictions that this year would attract less holiday shoppers than previous years.
Michael Hicks, director of the Ball State University Bureau of Business Research, said analysts cited higher mortgage rates and a weak job market as the reasons behind the predicted slow year, but business did surprisingly well.
Rising incomes brought more consumers out to shop this year, he said.
"People are realizing that they have more disposable income," he said. "Now they are making the purchases they might have held back on in the past."
National retail sales since Nov. 23, nicknamed Black Friday, are 7.2 percent more than last year, he said.
"That's huge," he said. "We didn't expect sales to rise that much."
Muncie stores did just as well, he said, but the stores do not release that data out of fear of it getting in the hands of their competitors, Hicks said.
Managers from electronic, retail and department stores in Muncie said they did well in sales this year, but could not release sales figures or their names because of company policies.
One manager said there was a line around the building the night before the store opened for its holiday sale.
The store employees handed out vouchers to those waiting in line, in an attempt to restore order to the chaotic event, he said.
Customers with vouchers were guaranteed their choice of one product each at the sale price, he said. The vouchers are only good for the day of the sale, because the stores only stock a limited quantity of each item, he said.
Foot traffic is getting better each year, he said.
Sophomore geography travel tourism major, Jessica Cashman, said she and her family have gone holiday shopping every year for the past nine years on Black Friday.
"It's always fun to go watch everybody run around," she said.
The stores were open earlier this year, which led to longer lines and few available parking spots, she said.
"This year was crazy," she said. "I saw a couple of older ladies almost get in a fight."
Considerable discounts are available each year, she said, and this year was no different.
"The really expensive things are always on sale," she said. "It brings them down to prices you can handle."
A longer sales season usually means less shoppers making the trip out on Black Friday, Hicks said.
"The longer the shopping season, the more spread out the foot traffic," he said. "But this year brought just as big of crowds as other years, if not more."
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