The day after Thanksgiving is a crucial day for US retailers

Many leading store chains opened at 0500 to satisfy the huge demand over the Thanksgiving weekend, which marks the start of the festive sales season.

Retailers reported brisker trade than on the corresponding day in 2003, when $7bn (�3.6bn) worth of goods were sold.

More than 130 million people are expected to go shopping across the US over the weekend.

Crunch period

The Friday ahead of Thanksgiving weekend is commonly known as "Black Friday" since it was a day which could historically transform a store's fortunes, moving it into the black for the year.

Shoppers are very upbeat and the turnout looks much stronger than last year John Ford, Sears

Retail analysts said that retail spending in the crucial pre-Christmas period may not be as strong as last year with oil prices hovering around the $50 a barrel mark.

Pre-Christmas sales increased by 5.5% last year and ShopperTrek, which provides footfall counting technology, is forecasting growth of between 3% and 4,5% this time around.

The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas accounted for 23% of annual retail revenue last year.

Upbeat mood

The National Retail Federation is forecasting sales of about $220bn over the next five weeks.

It has estimated that that 130 million people will take to the shops over the Thanksgiving weekend alone.

Analysts believe that the 2004 season will be driven by sales of video games and DVD players.

"Shoppers are very upbeat and the turnout looks much stronger than last year," John Ford, district manager of Sears stores in New York City, told Reuters.