More than ever before, shoppers used their mobile devices to dial up deals online, the firm said, as mobile purchases surged 33 percent on Black Friday to $1.2bn.

Retailers also racked up online sales on Thanksgiving Day and the day before, the latest evidence that consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping as an alternative to wading into malls packed with holiday season bargain-hunters.

College student Emilia Ollearis works at the Water Tower Place mall in Chicago but is doing virtually all of her shopping online. She said she prefers to go to a store to get a close look at merchandise, but that's it.

"I'll go buy it online," said Ollearis, 24. "I'm not gonna wait in line for it."

The trend also suggests that consumers are less willing to hold out for potential online deals traditionally found on Cyber Monday, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving and has traditionally been the busiest day of the year for online shopping.

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