US retailers profess themselves disappointed that Black Friday sales in the States fell by 11% compared to those in 2013.
The drop in sales came despite many outlets starting their offers before the Friday, edging well into what had always been a completely non-commercial Thanksgiving Day itself.
US consumers spent on average $380.95 per person, down 6.4% from a year ago, bringing the weekend sales to an estimated $50.9bn.
Analysts were surprised as many had predicted an increase in sales based on the improved US economy coupled with lower petrol prices.
Meanwhile in the UK, internet retailers are holding their breaths to see if ‘Cyber Monday’ will prove a major money spinner, hoping that a spending frenzy will continue after the delirium of the Black Friday weekend which was peppered with some humiliating scenes.
Some online outlets were offering discounts on Monday to attract Christmas shoppers.
The first two Mondays of December tend to be the busiest days for shopping online, after browsing various sites over the weekend, while the busiest day in the stores is usually Boxing Day when traditional sales begin.
Experian predicts consumers will spend £649.6m on 1 December, or £451,000 a minute - a 26% increase on Cyber Monday last year.
The discounts available on Black Friday caused frenzy and chaos in some shops where scuffles over TVs and other goods were conveniently filmed for the whole nation.
Amazon UK was pleased with itself after its busiest day ever. Orders for more than 5.5 million goods were received, with about 64 items sold per second.
