CR found that, unsurprisingly, the number of folks hitting the stores is higher this year despite the economy's current position in the proverbial shitter—26% versus 21% in 2007. And of that 26%, electronics remain the main target, although much more so this year than last, with 85% heading to the gadget aisles over 70% previously. What's hot with CR's poll respondents? Gaming systems (those Xbox 360 price cuts seem like they're working out pretty well), which 46% of BF shoppers have their eye on first (compared to a much-lower 29% last year. iPods and other MP3 players come in a close second at 44% of folks planning on buying, up from 33%.
Still, I must throw in my two cents here: if you're able to wake up at the crack of dawn to stand in the cold waiting for some electronics deals with hundreds of other bleary-eyed souls, you're simply not doing Thanksgiving with the gluttony and excess it deserves. So save the shopping for later in the day at the computer, in your underpants, with a nice hot mug of the previous night's mulled wine helping you start the day (er, afternoon). That, friends, is a post-Thanksgiving Friday well-spent. [Consumer Reports]
