San Francisco ? More Americans hit the stores during Black Friday and the rest of the holiday-shopping weekend, but they spent less than they did last year, a retail trade group said Sunday.

The National Retail Federation’s survey, conducted over the weekend, found that 195 million shoppers visited stores and Web sites, up from 172 million last year, but the average spent was about $343, down from about $373 a year ago. For the weekend, the total spending figure is an estimated $41.2 billion.

Almost half of holiday shoppers visited at least one department store over the weekend, which is up 13 percent from last year. About 43 percent headed to discount retailers and another 8 percent headed to outlets, the NRF added. More than a fourth of shoppers went online for their potential purchases.

More shoppers also started their expeditions early, with 31 percent in the doors by 5 a.m., as opposed to 23 percent who did the same last year.