Shoppers spent a total of $45 billion over the Black Friday weekend, with the average shopper increasing spending by 6.4%.

A total of 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the weekend, compared with 195 million last year, the National Retail Federation said. The average shopper spent $365.34, compared with $343.31 a year earlier.

The figures are a positive signal for the holiday shopping season.

"While Black Friday weekend is not always an indicator of holiday season performance, retailers should be encouraged that a focus on value and discretionary gifts has shoppers in the spirit to spend," said Matthew Shay, CEO of the National Retail Federation.

The number of shoppers who visited discount retailers fell to 40.3% from 43.2%, a sign that consumers are more interested in big-ticket purchases. The number of shoppers buying jewelry rose to 14.3% from 11.7% last year.