American consumers have been snapping up bargains in a bid to beat inflation, now that the US holiday shopping season is in full swing.

Both brick-and-mortar and online retailers reported robust demand on Black Friday.

November 25, following Thanksgiving, marks the start of the season.

Retail analysis firm Sensormatic Solutions says in-store traffic was up 2.9 percent from last year. A survey by Adobe shows that online retailers had sales of over 9 billion dollars, 2 percent higher.

Analysts believe that shopping lists this year are heavy on the side of food and other daily necessities as inflation continues to squeeze household budgets.

Retailers handling other product categories tried to buck the trend by offering steep discounts. Customers got an average of 32 percent off toys and 23 percent off electronic appliances.

More bargains are in store on "Cyber Monday" on November 28.