A record 226 million consumers shopped in stores and online between Thursday and Sunday.....ummm I see a problem.

Sorry...link.

[link to money.cnn.com]

A record 226 million consumers shopped in stores and online between Thursday and Sunday, up from 212 million last year. Individual shoppers spent more too, the NRF said. The average holiday shopper shelled out $398.62, up from $365.34 in 2010.

By consumer they probably mean single transaction.

You're forgetting Chito Sanchez the illegal migrant. there's 20 or 30 million of him stinking up your country right now. Thay shop too.

Actually the 314,000,000 from the census includes illegals.

Well if they counted online then its very possible that most of the people you mentioned went shopping.

Shopping probably includes anything bought, although how they calculated single individuals(versus duplicates) is probably shoddy.

Military, ER and those abroad could have purchased items online through amazon/ebay etc. So aside from those on life support any of the above mentioned could have shopped.

That number sounds correct....there are that many assholes in the country...

Nice catch OP.