Online purchases appear to be surging in the US and UK during Black Friday as more consumers shun standing in line.
This has not stopped US stores reporting massive queues outside their shops, although in the UK there were smaller crowds than a year ago. New York's giant Macy's store said thousands of people queued to get in. In the UK, consultants Experian and retail group IMRG said that online sales were on course to pass £1bn on a single day for the first time.
Last year's Black Friday saw shoppers in the UK fighting over bargains, websites crashing and delivery companies struggling to cope. The discount day originated in the US, where it takes place the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally kick-starting the Christmas shopping period. In the US, some retailers started offering deals early and several stores have turned the event into a weekend of discounting. Macy's said about 15,000 shoppers waited outside its Manhattan department store in readiness for its opening on Thanksgiving evening. Amazon offered discounts in the lead up to the shopping event.