PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The physical rush of Black Friday and the armchair browsing of Cyber Monday are increasingly blending into one big holiday shopping event as more customers buy items online and pick them up at brick-and-mortar stores.

According to the United States-based firm Adobe Analytics, more customers are going to stores to get items they purchased online.

That trend contributed to a record US$6.22 billion being spent online on Black Friday, up nearly 24 percent from last year.

But industry analysts believe the fastest-growing online shopping day in the US is Thanksgiving.

Online sales totalled US$3.7 billion on Thursday, up 28 percent from last year.

It’s a sign, analysts say, that retailers are merging online business with their physical stores even as fewer people travel to those stores on Black Friday.

Walmart, Kohl’s and Target are among major retailers that are expanding the number of stores where shoppers can pick up online orders.

Adobe says a record US$2.1 billion in sales were done from customers on their smartphones.

About a third of online Black Friday sales were made from phones.

ShopperTrak, which tracks Black Friday foot traffic, reported today there was a 1.7 percent decline from last year.

But the research firm predicts that eight of the season’s ten busiest in-person shopping days are still to come, aided by the fact that this year there are four Saturdays in December before Christmas.

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