Thanksgiving weekend has long been seen as the traditional start of the most important sales period for retailers, and so far, the indication is that

Online sales in the U.S. were up about 4% for the first half of the Thanksgiving holiday, compared to a 2% rise last year, Salesforce data showed on Thursday, a fresh sign that shoppers are lapping up steep discounts from retailers.

The rise in sales suggests that shoppers are responding positively to the bolder promotions and price cuts retailers have rolled out earlier this year, signaling a strong demand for holiday deals.

According to recent data, Thanksgiving online sales are up 4% compared to last year. Reuters reported that Salesforce Inc. created the data report, which showed that retailers are experiencing a slight bump in items sold this holiday season.