Shoppers across the US headed to stores yesterday morning to hunt for bargains and take advantage of "early bird" discounts as the holiday shopping season officially started.

The day after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, is known as Black Friday since it marks the start of the period when retailers make the bulk of their profits and go from red ink to black. It is seen as a key indicator of how they will fare during the shopping period from Thanksgiving to Christmas.