Black Friday and Cyber Monday online sales break records
Holiday weekend was very busy for online retailers, with both Friday and Monday sales exceeding last year's numbers. According to preliminary data, Black Friday saw a 24 percent increase in online sales with a total value of $816 million. E-commerce sales on Cyber Monday were up 33 percent over 2010, and up 29% over Black Friday. Mobile devices accounted for 10% of online visits this year, up from 4% the previous year, and mobile sales accounted for 6.6% of the total, versus 2.3% in 2010. According to IBM, the average order amount was slightly up this year from $193.24 to $198.26. An increasing number of retailers lured shoppers with steep discounts and free shipping offers. Exact figures are expected to become available in the coming days.