US Black Friday quieter as bargains spread over two days

The traditional scrum of sharp elbows was notably less intense on Black Friday in the US this year.

The crowds, gathering at the US's big shopping centres, appeared to have exhausted some of their shopping enthusiasm on Thursday.

As last year, many retailers had opened their doors early to try to pull shoppers in ahead of rivals.

"The consumer clearly enjoys shopping on Thanksgiving," said Target's chief executive, Brian Cornell.

And, when opening the New York Stock Exchange for Friday's shortened day of trading, he welcomed the way the holiday season "has moved from an event on Black Friday morning to a multi-day event."

Many shoppers headed straight to the shops whilst still digesting their Thanksgiving turkey on Thursday, forming queues outside Macy's by 6pm on what is becoming known as "grey Thursday".