$28 bln spent on Thanksgiving weekend shopping

Holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend 2005 generated almost $28 bln in sales, a 22% increase that still puts spending on track to total $439.5 bln, according to National Retail Federation. More than 60 mln people went shopping, a tempo that eased Saturday with 52.8 mln people. Saturday's traffic, however, was still 13% higher than in 2004. By Sunday, the pace is expected to slow with 22 mln people out at stores. In the end, some 145 mln people will have gone shopping, well ahead of the 133 mln tallied a year ago. The average amount spent over the long weekend was $302.81, up from $265.15 in 2004, and accounted for almost 36% of buyers' holiday shopping.