McConnon Speaks with Sun Journal About Black Friday, Holiday Shopping

James McConnon, a University of Maine economics professor and a business and economics specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with the Sun Journal for an article about shopping this Black Friday and throughout the holiday season. “Consumer enthusiasm is as high as I’ve seen it since the Great Recession in 2007,” McConnon said, adding holiday shopping is important to the economy. Retailers make between 20 and 40 percent of their annual income from holiday sales, according to the article. McConnon also spoke about “Web-rooming” — when shoppers look through fliers and online to compare sale prices among stores. “It’s the opposite of showroom,” he says of Web-rooming. “Social media is a growing trend of consumers Web-rooming — comparing discounts and products. That bodes well for stores.”