140m US shoppers join the hunt for post-Thanksgiving bargains

An estimated 140 million US shoppers will hit stores and the web from today in search of post-Thanksgiving "Black Friday" discounts, kicking off what retailers predict will be the best holiday season in three years.

While the number of customers chasing deals over the weekend is projected to be roughly the same as last year, they're likely to spend more this time. The National Retail Federation is forecasting a 4.1 per cent gain in retail sales in November and December, the biggest increase since the industry grew 4.8 per cent in 2011.

Falling unemployment, rising wages and lower gas prices have put more money in Americans' pockets. "We're expecting a robust spending weekend," said Rod Sides, who tracks retail for consulting firm Deloitte LLP. "Basket size will go up. I do think folks are intending to spend more."

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has long been retailers' main day, but deals now stretch to the following Monday. Most major US chains were opening stores for at least part of Thanksgiving, and many were opening earlier on the holiday than they used to.

J.C. Penney was opening at 5pm on Thanksgiving, compared with 8pm in 2013. Macy's was starting at 6pm, two hours earlier than last year. Not everyone is encroaching on Thanksgiving. Nordstrom and Costco were remaining closed on the holiday to give employees a break.

Wal-Mart was planning to start at 6pm with an RCA tablet for US$29, US$1.96 DVDs and a 140cm high-definition television for US$218. Best Buy, meanwhile, was starting at 5pm, with a 55-inch Samsung 4K television for US$899, down from US$1,400.