Is It Just Me?

Is it just me, or did this Black Friday seem a bit more flash and sizzle than real substance?

Around here (Raleigh-Durham, NC), the malls did not look all that crowded. Moreover, the sales did not seem all that interesting or special. Sure, there was the usual wide array of electronics and clothing, but moreso than in most years, I just did not see much of anything that I wanted to buy. In fact, I think I bought exactly two things that were on sale because of the holiday - the rest of it was simply pulling the trigger on things I have wanted for a while and would have put sooner or later anyway.

Apparently the statistics back me up - traffic and spending were up some, but not a lot. Wonder if this means the economy is worse than it looks or if people are getting a bit more savvy and thrifty.