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.

Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving — is a great day for small businesses to find deals on office supplies and other material, said Rhonda Abrams in a USAToday column

Abrams gives these suggestions for successful small business Black Friday shopping:

1. Make a list of stuff you really need. Don’t buy just because something’s cheap.

2. Check to see which version of Windows 7 you need. If you have a server you’ll need at least the Pro or Ultimate edition. Upgrades are very expensive so buy the right one.

3. Before Friday, find out whether Windows 7 will work with your current software and peripherals before you buy. Otherwise, things can get really costly.

4. Shop online. Many retailers and even manufacturers are offering deals online beginning as early as midnight Friday morning. You may find the best stuff for small businesses — higher levels of Windows 7 for example — online.

5. Apply for your rebates. Make copies of everything and send rebates out immediately.

6. Check the office stores. They often have equipment more suited for business, rather than just consumer, use.

Especially good buys for small business on Black Friday include media — jump drives, CDs, DVDs, media cards. These can be dirt cheap. And you can find really good deals on smaller office equipment like surge protectors, scanners and label makers.