Black Friday online sales hit record high

CHICAGO — Black Friday and Thanksgiving online sales in the US surged to record highs as shoppers bagged deep discounts and bought more on their mobile devices, heralding a promising start to the key holiday season.

US retailers raked in a record $7.9 billion in online sales on Black Friday and Thanksgiving, up 17.9 percent from a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics, which measures transactions at the largest 100 US web retailers, on Saturday.

Adobe said Cyber Monday is expected to drive $6.6 billion in internet sales, which would make it the largest U.S. online shopping day in history.

In the run-up to the holiday weekend, traditional retailers invested heavily in improving their websites and bulking up delivery options, preempting a decline in visits to brick-andmortar stores. Several chains tightened store inventories as well, to ward off any postholiday liquidation that would weigh on profits.

TVs, laptops, toys and gaming consoles were among the most heavily discounted and the biggest sellers, according to retail analysts and consultants.

Commerce marketing firm Criteo said 40 percent of Black Friday online purchases were made on mobile phones, up from 29 percent last year.

No brick-and-mortar sales data was immediately available, but Reuters reporters and industry analysts noted anecdotal signs of muted activity - fewer cars in mall parking lots, shoppers leaving stores without purchases in hand.

BRENDAN MCDERMID / REUTERS A man stands with a cart load of goods outside of a Target store during Black Friday shopping in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Friday.