Are Black Friday Numbers a Surprise?

Black Friday weekend has come and gone, and most reports make it sound like retail sales were marginal at best.The National Retail Federation says that more people shopped but spent less money.The average amount each customer spent, it says dropped to $343.31, down from $372.57 last year, but total sales were flat, at $42.1 billion.Research firm ShopperTrak surmises that sales were up 0.5%, and surprise, discounters outperformed other retail categories. In apparel, Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters and Victoria's Secret were apparently winners and Banana Republic was a dud.Do these reports bode well for the rest of the holiday season, or does it spell poor sales to come?