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America’s holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is the busiest shopping day of the year. Retailers make the most money this time of year, about 20 percent to 30 percent of all revenue all year. The National Retail Federation says about (1) people will shop during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

More and more will shop online. In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. Nearly (2) of this year’s holiday shoppers, or about (3) people, will shop on Cyber Monday, says the NRF. More than half of all holiday (4) will be made online, they say. One-in-five Americans will use a tablet or smartphone.

Pam Goodfellow is an analyst at Prosper Funding LLC. It is an online lender. “Given how shoppers today (5) gravitate towards all things digital, there’s a high likelihood online shopping will be bigger than ever over the holiday weekend and on Cyber Monday,” she told the NRF. Online spending on Black Friday will rise 15 percent to hit (6) dollars this year. Cyber Monday spending will increase 12 percent to $3 billion, says Adobe Systems Inc.

NBC News reported that for many, shopping online was “a more comfortable (7)” than crowded malls. The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on “brick and mortar” shopping malls. Since (8), more than 24 shopping malls have closed and an additional 60 are struggling, according to Green Street Advisors. It tracks the mall industry. However, Fortune says the (9) of the malls have closed. The sector is thriving again, it says. The International Council of Shopping Centers said (10) of malls were full, or occupied, with shops by the end of (11). That is the highest level in 27 years. Economist Gus Faucher said lower unemployment and rising wages could give Americans more money to spend. According to the NRF, the average American consumer will spend about (12) dollars on gifts. That’s about $630.5 billion between November and (13) - an increase of 3.7 percent from last year.

Nonetheless, Cyber Monday is not the biggest online shopping day in the world. That distinction goes to China’s Singles’ Day, celebrated (14), which posted record sales of (15) dollars this year.