ONLINE BASKET CASE

Shoppers Spent a Record-breaking $5.4 billion Online on Black Friday

The amount is 22 percent higher than last year and comes two days before the traditional Cyber Monday online shopping spree.

Shoppers spent $5.4 billion shopping online on Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving day to hit the stores in person. Generally, the best online deals are found on Cyber Monday, which is forecast to be a banner day for retail companies this year. The amount breaks all previous Black Friday shopping records and is 22.3 percent higher than a year ago, according to the commerce tracking firm Adobe Analytics. CNBC reports that foot traffic to shopping malls across the country appeared to be lighter than usual, perhaps because of two massive winter storms that kept shoppers confined to their computers. Total spending for the day is expected to top $7.6 billion when tallied.