Is this Cyber Monday the last without sales tax?

Retail analysts reported a curious trend this Black Friday. On the traditional first shopping day of the Christmas season, the number of visits to malls, big box stores and other retailers increased, according to the analytics firm ShopperTrak, but the amount spent in brick-and-mortar businesses actually went down slightly from last year's total. Online shopping, meanwhile, jumped ahead of its traditional Cyber Monday kick-off and exceeded $1 billion on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the first time. Online shopping was up sharply on Thanksgiving day, too, according to comScore. That means many people braved the frenzied crowds and jammed parking lots to check out the holiday season merchandise, but when it came time to buy, they went home and logged on.

November 26, 2012