Walmart
Customers shop for Christmas ornaments at a Walmart store in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles (Reuters)

US retail giant Walmart has posted record-breaking Black Friday results and pledged to award some of its staff $70m in holiday pay.

The multinational said it saw million of customers race to its stores to sweep up the retailer's deals which began on Thanksgiving.

"We said Black Friday is the Super Bowl of retail. We ran a play that only Walmart could deliver and our customers loved it," said Bill Simon, president and chief executive of Walmart US.

He added: "Our Black Friday events were bigger, better, faster, cheaper and safer than ever. More customers chose us. We had the prices and products they were looking for and we're not finished yet."

The company claimed it topped its 22 million customers last year as Walmart processed more than 10 million register transactions in its stores on Black Friday and saw almost 400 million page views on Thanksgiving Day.

The retailer said it would award $70m (£42m, €51m) in holiday pay to its hourly store staff in appreciation for their hard work.

In addition, Walmart employees who worked over the holiday will receive a 25% discount on an entire purchase on December 5th and 6th, according to the employer.

Walmart said its top sellers included big screen televisions, the iPad mini, laptops, XBOX ONE, PS4 and Call of Duty Ghosts.

Store Protests

The announcement comes as the retailer faces protests over Black Friday from employees.

Worker group Our Walmart has planned 1,500 protests across the country for higher wages, more full-time jobs and the end of "unlawful intimidation" against local employers.

Walmart has already asked judges in the states of Maryland and Florida to ban protesters from getting into the stores on Black Friday, according to the Nation.

Our Walmart called the protest the "largest mobilisation of working families in recent history" and announced rallies in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis and Sacramento.

Last year, hundreds of Walmart workers walked out of stores in 46 states on Black Friday, according to the group.

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