Black Friday sales accelerate as online spending becomes bright spot

Black Friday sales in the US grew at a faster pace this year, highlighting that discerning consumers are still opening their wallets when they find the products they want.

Retail sales excluding autos rose 3.4% the day after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. This figure exceeded last year’s growth rate and does not take into account inflation.