Mall Of America Reports Brisk Business On Thanksgiving Night

BLOOMINGTON (AP) - A lot of Americans seem willing to head out to the malls, right after Thanksgiving dinner.

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, says it drew 100,000 customers between 5 p.m. yesterday and 1 a.m. today. A spokesman says traffic slowed down after 2 a.m., but it's been picking up again today. And mall officials are still hoping to top last year's total of 230,000 Thursday-to-Friday visitors.

One shopper at a mall in Aurora, Illinois, this morning said she thinks people are feeling more confident about the economy this year. But Kimberly States said she still plans to spend about the same amount -- or maybe less -- on Christmas gifts compared with last year.

For retailers hoping for strong online sales, it's not the best time for technical issues. But Best Buy's website has been down this morning, with a message that asks customers to "Check back soon."