Update 12: Bargain Shoppers Get Early Holiday Start
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Bargain shoppers, many of them braving chilly temperatures, woke up before dawn to head for the nation&#39;s malls and stores Friday, the official beginning of the holiday shopping season, hoping to take advantage of early bird specials on a range of items
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Holiday shopping got off to a flying  start in the United States this weekend.
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Merchants who spent the past few weeks hoping shoppers would splurge on gifts opened their doors Sunday with high hopes the same people would now spend on themselves.
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The nation's shoppers Â taking advantage of deep discounts and expanded hours Â jammed stores over the last weekend before Christmas to try to grab a hard-to-find Wii or scoop up bargains on other items. But the spending surge may not be enough to offset what is shaping up to be a mediocre December for some retailers.
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Americans spent more in stores at the start of holiday shopping than a year ago, according to figures released on Saturday, but retailers&#39; hopes for the key season
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High Street retailers launch a series of sales and special offers to lure stay-at-home consumers into some early Christmas shopping.
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After jamming malls on Friday for discounted flat-screen TVs and toys, shoppers logged into their computers at work yesterday as retailers ushered in the start of the online shopping season with bargains and marketing hype.
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Holiday shoppers, intent on finding bargains, descended on the region's shopping centers Friday. But, in what could be a worrisome sign for retailers, many consumers vowed to watch their wallets closely.
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The holiday shopping season began with a solid show of spending on Friday, but consumers faded by the weekend&#39;s close and many retailers were facing decent but hardly impressive sales.
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Retailers hoping for a strong start to the holiday shopping season that gets underway Friday are flashing deals to jolt consumers into spending.
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Americans shook off their  turkey-and-cranberry hangovers and hit the stores early on  Friday, anxious to start holiday shopping and take advantage of  deals offered by retailers including Gap, Macy's and Best Buy.
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Millions of British consumers are expected to spend Christmas Day shopping online for bargains.
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Retailers got what they wanted over the Thanksgiving weekend &#151; a strong start to the 2006 holiday shopping season as consumers crowded stores in search of huge discounts on flat-screen TVs and other hot merchandise.
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US consumers spend more as the holiday shopping season starts but fewer people head to the shops, research shows.
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U.S. retailers kicked off the annual post-Christmas selling frenzy on Sunday, hoping that shoppers would flood stores to search for bargains or redeem gift cards and give profits a shot in the arm.
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Reports that shoppers are leaving it late in the hope of finding festive bargains may be borne out by new High Street data.
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Across the country today, millions of Americans swarmed discount stores and filled downtown shopping districts to mark the start of holiday shopping season.