Shopper trampled in sales stampede

Bargain hunting is the most fervent of pastimes in the United States, a country built on liberty, equality and the right to shop. But it is one that may no longer appeal to Patricia VanLester, who was knocked unconscious in a stampede for cut-price DVD players at a traditional post-Thanksgiving Day sale at a Wal-Mart store.

After the doors of Wal-Mart's "Supercenter", in Orange City, Florida, opened at 6am on Friday, Ms VanLester, 41, was flattened by shoppers who had been lined up behind her. Linda Ellzey, Ms VanLester's sister, said: "She got pushed down and they walked over her like a herd of elephants." A few people stopped, but most charged ahead, she said. "All they cared about was a stupid DVD player", which was on sale for $29 (£17).

An ambulance crew found Ms VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player, having apparently suffered a seizure. She was taken to hospital where she spent the weekend under observation. "Patty doesn't remember anything," Ms Ellzey said. "She still can't believe it all happened." The store in Orange City has reserved a DVD player for Ms VanLester, and the company said it was "very disappointed" at the incident, and hoped she would shop again at the store.

Even if she doesn't, thousands of others will. Thanks to its huge range of goods and unmatched low prices, Wal-Mart has become America's biggest company and the world's largest retailer. On Friday, Wal-Mart had the largestsales in one day by any commercial business in US history; its tills took in $1.52bn (£894m).