By Lisa Beilfuss

Target Corp. (TGT) said Friday that it had a good start to its Black Friday weekend, though the retailer declined to provide sales figures for the launch of the holiday shopping season.

The Minneapolis-based company, which began discounting electronics by 10% last Sunday, said Apple iPads were top sellers in stores and online and televisions were also popular in stores. Electronics helped drive online traffic on Thanksgiving, resulting in what the company said was its biggest day ever for online sales.

Many retailers have cautioned ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season, warnings that have coincided with weak retail sales in the government's official figures, confirming a broader slowdown in the sector despite cheap gasoline, strong job growth and early signs of faster wage growth.

Retailers from across the spectrum have issued downbeat forecasts for the holiday quarter, from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) and department stores including Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) and Macy's Inc. (M) to specialty shops like Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) and luxury brands such as Tiffany & Co. (TIF).

In order to attract traffic and sales, many retailers have started holiday price promotions progressively sooner, at the expense of their profit margins.

According to economists at IHS Global Insight, holiday retail sales are expected to rise 3.5% this year, slower than last year's 4.1% rate. Online sales growth, though, is expected to outpace last year's 10.9% increase, the economists said.

Write to Lisa Beilfuss at lisa.beilfuss@wsj.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 27, 2015 07:15 ET (12:15 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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