Shoppers Buying More Gifts For Self This Season

DENVER (CBS4)-- More shoppers are buying gifts for themselves this holiday season.

A national consumer analyst said 57 percent of shoppers are buying a gift for themselves, in addition to crossing others off their gift list.

Black Friday deals brought shoppers in droves to the malls and big box stores. Retail numbers suggest that more than one-third of those purchases were not put under the Christmas tree.

Not surprisingly, retailers love the trend. The theory, according to psychologists, is that when a shopper buys something for his or herself, he or she is more likely to feel the need to buy a gift for someone else eventually.

Economists said holiday spending is good for the economy, no matter who is on the receiving end.