NEW YORK: US shoppers spent heavily online on the crucial Black Friday shopping day, for the first time topping a billion dollars in online sales in a single day, analysts and retailers said.

The four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend is the kickoff to the US holiday shopping season, and Black Friday has long been considered the critical day that turns retailers' books from red to black.

Consumer spending makes up more than two thirds of US economic activity. So the short but busiest consumer sales season has a huge importance to the US economy for the whole year.

This year, online shoppers spent a grand total of $1.042 billion on Friday, surpassing last year's Black Friday haul by 26 percent, according to the consulting firm Comscore.

Another study by IMB Benchmark Digital Analytics saw an increase of 21 percent in Internet sales, with a surge in orders of mobile devices and tablet computers, in particular.

But the new record might be short-lived.

Coming next is "CyberMonday," the day Americans go back to work and online retailers launch heavy promotions to reel in more shoppers.

"According to norms we've observed over the past three years," retail analyst ShopperTrak said, the Monday after Thanksgiving "should be the heaviest online shopping day of the season with sales approaching $1.5 billion or even higher."

Across the four-day weekend, US shoppers spent $59.1 billion dollars, a jump of 13 percent over the previous year, the National Retail Federation announced.

"It's phenomenal," NRF director Mathew Shay told reporters at a press conference, saying the numbers bode well for the holiday season despite the still-struggling economy.

American consumers spent an average of $423 this weekend, compared to $398 last year, the group reported.

However, the NRF did not revise its prediction for the US holiday shopping season as a whole, keeping it at a 4.1% increase year on year, arguing that consumers remain cautious about the economy.

The looming threat of the "fiscal cliff," which could send taxes soaring if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a compromise on reducing the deficit before the end of the year, also had the retailers worried.

And despite the good numbers overall, sales at brick-and-mortar locations were sluggish on "Black Friday:" in-store traffic increased by 3.5 percent on Friday with more than 307 million visitors, but total sales actually went down compared to the previous year by 1.8 percent, according to ShopperTrak.

Some of the biggest numbers went to the stores that opened early on the Thanksgiving holiday itself - a growing trend, especially among large chain stores, that is turning the traditionally family-based holiday into a commercial event.

"Opening on Thanksgiving was a big win," the NRF's Shay said, noting that 35 million people went shopping, a 40 percent surge over the previous year.

Comscore also noted a jump in online Thanksgiving day sales, up 32 percent over 2011, with $633 million in sales, though the IMB Benchmark Digital Analytics survey saw a more modest gain of 17.4 percent.

But ShopperTrak noted that the Thanksgiving day shopping may have undercut spending usually meant for Friday, without increasing the overall numbers. - AFP

• Trading ideas: Pos Malaysia, BToto, Notion Vtech
• Malaysia-Market factors to watch on May 21(Tuesday)
• Wall Street ends flat on correction worries
• Raytheon to sign US$2.1bil arms sale to Oman
• Report: iPhone maker Apple keeping billions of dollars in Irish subsidiaries to avoid taxes
• Revival of abandoned RM1.4bil 79-storey Plaza Rakyat near Pudu bus terminal
• Wahid: M’sia growth prospects still bright, will be driven by Govt identified projects
• UBS predicts Malaysia’s 2013 GDP at below 5%
• Pharmaniaga enters into joint venture with Saudi firm
• MAHB sees 10% rise in KLIA passenger numbers from last year's 39.9mil
• RM1.7bil Maju Expressway deal crashes
• Shangri-La Hotels optimistic about its performance
• Kudsia elected president of Commercial Radio Malaysia
• Maybank seeking suitable replacement for CEO Wahid
• Time dotCom CEO Afzal ready to move on, but wants a solid management team in place first

• British PM survives gay marriage vote
• Kerry to help ink $2.1 bn defense accord with Oman
• Yahoo unveils makeover of flickr site

• Plenty for Hafizh as 55 is significant in his early racing career
• Yi Ting on a mission
• Razif: Indiscipline the cause of senior players’ poor performances
• Cool V Shem believes he will be too hot for rivals to handle
• Spirited Malaysian team vow to deliver against Germans
• Japan hope to reach their first semis in tourney
• KLHC to rule the roost if other teams don’t raise their game
• Malaysia have their work cut out in the World League
• Gobi’s fate to be decided by MHC’s administrative committee
• Andre nails it with last jump
• Grace hammers home a point with two golds
• Delia one step away from main draw after easy win
• Sharon believes KPT circuit is excellent for squash’s future
• Nadal and Williams are looking unbeatable leaving rivals stunned
• Reigning champion thumps Xu Xin as Taiwan make history with first gold

• Please wait.

• Revival of abandoned RM1.4bil 79-storey Plaza Rakyat near Pudu bus terminal
• The best ways to national unity
• Rape accused defends marriage to 13-year-old, says it was mutual
• Zahid: I will not interfere with decisions of HODs
• Malindo set to operate from Subang Skypark
• Report: iPhone maker Apple keeping billions of dollars in Irish subsidiaries to avoid taxes
• TH Plantations hopes for soft loan from timber board
• English-medium schools needed for nation-building
• A lose-lose situation indeed
• No real efforts to nab the culprits