Online shoppers avoided long lines like this and boosted Web sales up nearly 21%.


Online shoppers avoided long lines like this and boosted Web sales nearly 21%.
(Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)































































Black Friday shoppers headed to their laptops, tablet computers and mobile phones to scoop up deals.


On the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, online sales jumped 20.7% over last year, according to study from IBM. That beat the 17.4% growth over Thanksgiving in Web sales.


That reflects a trend that has swept through the retail industry as shoppers increasingly go online to find the best bargains and deals, forcing traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to adapt in in order to retain customers.





Many consumers chose to shop on their mobile devices, with nearly a quarter of shoppers checking out retailers online.


The Apple iPad was top choice for online buyers, comprising almost 10% of total Web shopping. That's followed by the iPhone at 8.7% and Android-powered devices at 5.5%.


"This year's holiday shopper was hungry for great deals and retailers didn't disappoint, said Jay Henderson, strategy director at IBM Smarter Commerce.


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