This year's Black Friday, the day when brick-and-mortar retailers traditionally see a spike in profit, may not have been as successful as previous years because of concerns over the U.S. economy, but it did deliver positive results for retailers, who saw strong in-store purchases driven by welcome hero: the internet.

In a New York Times story, consulting firm ShopLocal reported that it saw online-influenced purchases jump by as much as 50 percent. ShopLocal, which counts Home Depot, Best Buy and Target as its clients, helps companies use the web to drive in-store sales.

According to ShopLocal CEO Vikram Sharma, the numbers point to a growing trend of people using the web to research products before they buy in the store.

As for sales on the web, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Cyber Monday, the day many online retailers see a jump in activity, is off to a good start. According to a report from comScore, web holiday sales are expected to reach $29.5 billion, a 20 percent jump over the same period last year.