Cyber Monday

November 21--As we all know Black Friday is right around the corner. Black Friday is an unofficial shopping holiday, which according to the National Retail

Federation more than 128 million people will participate in this year. Black Friday has been around for decades, however since 2005 Cyber Monday, has been created and being celebrated on the Monday following Black Friday. Cyber Monday is an unofficial shopping holiday just like Black Friday, however it is has been created for online shopping.

Cyber Monday has been created for those who either missed Black Friday or prefer online shopping. Retailers are persuading shoppers to get online and shop. So if you’re not one of the 128 million who is getting out this Friday to shop, you still have Monday. In addition to stores offering the same in-store deals they will on Black Friday, sites offer special hour-to-hour deals and free shipping. Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Walmart.com, Apple.com and the Gap.com, just to name a few sites offering some of the best deals.

According to the Shop.org, 8 out of 10 online retailers will offer promotions on Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday allows you to skip the madness of Black Friday but not miss out on the deals. "Consumers have come to expect the absolute best online holiday deals on Cyber Monday," Pam Goodfellow, BIGresearch Consumer Insights Directo. BIGresearch is a marketing research firm that conducts surveys for the National Retail Federation and provides analysis of consumer behavior.

According to research firm IBISWorld, Cyber Monday sales are expected to hit a record $1.2 billion, which is a 12.4 percent increase from last year.

If shopping this Monday on Cyber Monday, you should go to the sites you plan on shopping on sometime this weekend before Cyber Monday to check out any promotions or deals they may be mentioning before hand. Also Sign up to receive e-mail and text alerts on Monday from these sites. If you don’t have one already, create shopping accounts with the retailers where you know your going to shop to save time and also insure that you will receive alerts from them.

So if you miss Black Friday, your favorite stores are online, or you prefer to do your shopping online, this Monday, Cyber Monday is your holiday.

By Emma Behringer