Preliminary data show relatively strong Black Friday sales, but also indicate many holiday shoppers may be avoiding the crowds and doing their bargain hunting from the comfort of home.

Data from the research firm ShopperTrak RCT Corp. show shoppers spent $10.7 billion – about 0.5 percent more than last year — when they hit the stores on the day after Thanksgiving, reported MSNBC.com.

The National Retail Federation said there were more Black Friday shoppers this year than in 2008, but shoppers on average spent less money.

The average amount online shoppers spent Friday rose 35 percent from last year, according to Web marketing analyst Coremetrics. The average online order was roughly $170, and shoppers bought more items with each order, said the company.

The TV shopping network QVC reported $32 million in sales on Black Friday, a 60 percent jump from last year, said MSNBC.com.

Heavily hyped Black Friday “doorbusters” sales draw hordes of bargain-hungry shoppers, some of whom camp out at stores for hours to be first in line when doors open early in the morning. Last year, a Wal-Mart employee in Long Island, N.Y., was trampled to death while trying to open the store’s door at 5 a.m.

Deep discounts on big-ticket items such as televisions, computers and other electronics are a major draw for customers. The National Retail Federation said high-definition TVs, laptops, Zhu Zhu Pets and winter coats were popular this year, reported Bloomberg News.

Tags: Black Friday, Black Friday “doorbusters” sales, Coremetrics, high-definition TVs laptopsb Zhu Zhu Pets, holiday shoppers, National Retail Federation, online shoppers, QVC, ShopperTrak RCT Corp, Wal-Mart, winter coats

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