QVC, an American television-shopping network, it also offers Mr Gates a window on the more familiar kind of electronic shopping.

ECONOMIST: Cable television

Best Buy has been growing bigger by opening up large stores where people would browse for new appliances and electronic gadgets but end up shopping elsewhere, on line.

FORBES: Best Buy and Yahoo: Right Size, Wrong Space

Those that opt for the true-Black Friday experience by shopping in stores, do have a choice, but increasingly are using electronic payments.

FORBES: Black Friday Puts Payment Processing Stocks Into Focus

About a dozen times per shopping trip, the device lets out a "Ka-ching" as an electronic coupon appears on the screen.

WSJ: Mobile Checkout Devices Let People Scan and They Shop