December 3, 2013 - Cyber Monday saw millions of Americans turning to smartphones to access the bargains and deals provided by retailers.

International Business Machines (IBM) said that online sales during the day increased by 19 per cent overall when compared to 2012.

However, retailers catering for mobile shoppers benefitted the most, seeing mobile traffic hitting 30 per cent of total site visits, a rise of more than 58 per cent from last year.

Research firm comScore had forecast Cyber Monday sales of $2 billion, up from about $1.47 billion last year.

Since Thanksgiving, tablets have proved to be more popular for purchases, while mobile phones are preferred for browsing. Tablets accounted for 9.8 per cent of purchases, compared with 5.7 percent from smartphones, IBM said.

Consumers spent more cash when buying on tablets, with average order values hitting $128.30 per order, compared with $110.95 for smartphones, the company said.