7:58 p.m. EST November 28, 2014  Retailers were swamped with Black Friday crowds after an unprecedented day of shopping on Thanksgiving.

On what's traditionally been the biggest shopping day of the year, millions of consumers flocked to stores and retail websites.

Through late afternoon, online sales were up 8% over Black Friday 2013. Thanksgiving Day website sales jumped 14.3% over 2013, according to IBM Digital Analytics. Sales and traffic were driven by mobile phones and tablet use, which accounted for 46% of all Black Friday online traffic.

Walmart racked up more than 500 million Thanksgiving page views, surpassed only by the retailer's Cyber Monday traffic last year. ChannelAdvisor, which tracks retail data, said Amazon also was a big winner, with sales up 26% from last year. Electronics retailer Best Buy's website crashed for about an hour Friday morning due to a "concentrated spike in mobile traffic,'' said spokesman Jeff Shelman.

There were scattered protests calling for shopping boycotts to show solidarity with ongoing protests around Ferguson, Mo., where rioting took place earlier this week following a grand jury's decision not to indict cop Darren Wilson for the August shooting death of black teen Michael Brown. Walmart workers also held protests outside scores of stores around the country, the latest effort to prompt the retailer to hire more full-time employees and boost hourly wages to $15.

In New York City's Times Square Toys R Us, President Hank Mullany said morning shoppers were leaving the store with "bags and bags full of toys.'' At Target, CEO Brian Cornell said shoppers snapped up many items beyond the doorbusters that may have lured them in, including apparel and home goods.

"I was very encouraged by the fact that they took time to shop," said Cornell, who became CEO in August. "Early on it's a very positive signal."

Target had record online shoppers Thursday, driven in part by free holiday shipping. "We're seeing visits to the site way up, and we're seeing conversion rates very strong,'' he said.

Cornell expects a deal for 10% off up to $300 in Target gift cards to be a big traffic driver Friday and the rest of the holiday season.

Shoppers line up for big discounts

Some early shoppers had already missed out, however. At a Target in suburban Mission, Kan., Bridget McNabb had hoped to score a $119 TV. But McNabb was told the store had sold out shortly after it opened Thanksgiving evening.

At Denver's upscale Cherry Creek Mall, sisters Isabelle and Remy Lebel were among the first to enter H&M. They'd taken turns staking out a spot before 6 a.m.

"It's my first year," said Isabelle, 13. "We begged our mom to take us."

They were rewarded for arriving early. H&M gave both a scratch-off card for $300 off their purchases.

"Even if the deals aren't that good, it's fun," said Remy, 15. "I'll get a lot of Christmas presents."

Friends Molly Magee and Tracie Brady plotted out their mall strategy with a map before hitting The Buckle, Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom.

Brady, who recently moved to Denver from Arkansas, said she's avoided malls and Black Friday madness for a decade. The two were lured to Cherry Creek by big discounts at stores such as Urban Outfitters, and Brady ultimately bought clothes as presents for her two daughters.

Brady said the big crowds of years past turned her off from Black Friday, but a news report saying crowds had diminished because so many people were either shopping online or on Thanksgiving ended her self-imposed boycott.

Shoppers elsewhere were also angling for deals. About 10 people were lined up outside Sports Authority in Alexandria, Va., before its 6 a.m. opening. As soon as the doors opened, more shoppers poured out of their cars to head inside for the door-buster deals.

Jaime Ramos, 60, of Mount Vernon, Va., sought a weight bench. "The one I am looking for usually costs $300 or $400," he says.

Last year, Ramos came on Thanksgiving night, when Sports Authority opened at 11 p.m. Compared with that, he says he is surprised at how few people were in line today.

"There were at least 100 people last year," he said. "I wanted to avoid the crowds, and I figured it would be much busier on Thanksgiving, so I came today."

At the Chandler Fashion Center in suburban Phoenix, thousands of shoppers crowded in at 2 a.m., in part, lured by heartthrob actor Keegan Allen of ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars, who signed autographs and promoted his upcoming photo book life.love.beauty.

"It's great to see how the economy is doing and to see everyone shopping. I am happy to see that," Allen said before facing screaming fans. "It's nice to meet all the fans and connect with them."

Standing in line with a parent were Sara Fitzgerald, 14, and Callie Young, 13, both from nearby Peoria. The two friends stood in line for five hours just to receive an autographed photo.

"It was so amazing," said Fitzgerald, who brought her acoustic guitar and a song she wrote for Allen. Young was still gushing over the brief meet-and-greet with the actor. "He is my sunshine," Young said.

John Meza and Inez Ortiz of Avondale, Ariz., who were holding bags from Macy's, Disney Store and Game Stop, were taking in the experience.

"This is our first time coming out," Ortiz said. "We came just for the Black Friday experience."