NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Although Black Friday seemed to be missing the usual mayhem associated with it, the good news for merchants was that shoppers eagerly spent money on toys, cashmere sweaters, Snuggie blankets and gadgets at juicy discounts .

“What I’ve noticed so far is that [consumer] traffic is on par with last year, but people are buying more,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst with market research firm NPD Group.

“They are going into stores with the pure intention of spending money. They have their stores, products and prices all picked out,” he said.
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It seems folks are shopping smarter, planning rather than shopping on impulse. Hmmm, about time