PART I: CLICK TO LISTEN – The Big Day: Black Friday Mania at a Fremont Target[audio:http://rosebud.journalism.berkeley.edu/~j200/510report/blackfriday.mp3]

A line of about 300 shoppers snakes around the Fremont Target on Black Friday.

By Tyler Sipe  –  

Lured by retailers, the shopping faithful waited in long lines on Thanksgiving and Black Friday in order to get their hand on heavily discounted hot ticket items.  At the Target in Fremont, consumers were plentiful, but spendthrift, making officials cautiously optimistic about the holiday shopping season.

PART II: CLICK TO LISTEN – Recapping the Weekend: Hopeful Sales Kick-Off Holiday Shopping Season[audio:http://rosebud.journalism.berkeley.edu/~j200/510report/black_friday.mp3]

After a flurry of shopping this weekend, retail stores return to normal.

By Karen Weise –

With low expectations given the shaky economy, retailers were pleased with this weekend’s sales.  Early analyst reports said retail sales for Thanksgiving weekend were better than last year, largely driven by deep discounts and promotions. Now they’re crossing their fingers in hope that the discounts didn’t gobble up all of their profits.

Jennifer and Jay Cruz were the first in line at Target, arriving at 2:30 am.

Electronics were the most popular items for Target customers on Black Friday.

NUMMI has long been held as a one of the best plants in the country, with relatively collaborative labor relations, a highly efficient production process, and some of the lowest default rates in the industry.

Sources include Automotive Week, San Jose Mercury News, Detroit Free Press, The San Francisco Chronicle, the Argus, the New York Times, and NUMMI corporate website. Photos primarily sourced from Wikipedia Commons.