The day after Thanksgiving, known to all businessmen as Black Friday, due to the high amount of spending by consumers (more so then on any other day of the year) was not so black this year. The term black signifies that the stores rack in so much profit that their debt is lifted, so their numbers in the books are taken out of the red (the debt).

This year as energy prices rise, heating bills rise, and gas prices rise...while job price/salary remains the same, Americans have become a bit more economically thrifty. They know that their big assets (their houses) don’t carry the same value they ust to; therefore they are less willing to dip into their pockets. Target, a mega giant discount chain, reported a lower then average 3rd quarter sale, while Wal-Mart’s shares banked at a 6 year low in September (this will not be helped by the grey Friday).

Many economists feel this was bond to happen, as consumer spending is about 3/4 of all U.S. economic activity, and since the recession of 2001 this was an inevitable event. David Rosenberg, the chief NA economist with Merril Lynch, says that, "Right now, the question is how bad it's going to get," 

Of course on the other hand, some feel that the Federal Reserve will initiate a slow economic growth, but manage to avoid a recession, (this is where 2 or more quarters of economic contraction is made). They are expected to make another quarter point cut on their Dec. 11th meeting, making their overall funding of the bank-lending rate down to 4.25%. So far it seems the government is trying to avoid usage of the word recession, instead saying that we are in the moment facing a fear of "an unexpectedly severe weakening in economic activity."