Holiday blues: US spending down during Thanksgiving weekend

Shoppers in the US may have flocked to the stores over the Thanksgiving weekend in record numbers, but they spent less than in previous years, according to initial estimates.

The National Retail Federation said 141 million shoppers visited US stores between Thanksgiving on Thursday and yesterday, up from 139 million last year.

Black Friday, where retailers famously heavily discount stock for the day, is one of the biggest shopping days in the US calendar. However, over the weekend customers spent $407 each, down from $424 a year ago.

Overall, stores took $57.4 billion (£35 billion) down from $59 billion last year, with many customers opting to buy online through Amazon and Ebay.