Heavy discounting on US high street stores Heavy discounting took a toll on US high street stores during the Thanskgiving weekend as shoppers spent nearly 3 percent less than they did a year earlier. It points to a difficult Christmas for many shops but there's a bright spot according to the National Retail Foundation which recorded a significant rise in online sales. Figures from the four-day period which includes Black Friday - stateside the biggest shopping day of the year - are expected to show US total spending to reach 42 billion euros. The trend is expected to be repeated this side of the water. In London, many people prowl the high street for coveted goods before snapping them up online I spend a lot of time looking around. I look at different sites I check a lot of different websites." - said Kimberley, a shopper in London. "See something you want on the high street go touchy feelie, which is what I love, then go an buy it online." - said another shopper, Lee. Retailers are also being aggressive online as they look to benefit from Cyber Monday - the biggest sales day of the year for e-commerce. With sales starting as early as Sunday some commentators are referring to this as "Cyber Week" as more and more shoppers scan various stores in search of bigger bargains. 1.14..ends