The volume of transactions completed on mobile devices surged over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to PayPal, which said the total dollar figure soared 56% compared to the same period last year -- including Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Saturday and "Small Business Sunday" -- while the number of shoppers jumped 43%.

The level of Twitter chatter about holiday shopping, deals, brands, etc. doubled over last year, Spredfast reported this weekend. Major retailers seemed to get traction for their efforts.