Online retailers prepare for Cyber Monday madness

For shoppers who prefer to log on to do their holiday shopping, avoiding the crowds and mall mania that Black Friday brings, there will be plenty of promotions and special offers to choose from on Cyber Monday as retailers roll out one-day specials to attract Internet users.

by Helen Leggatt

Last year, consumers spent around $733 million on online shopping during Cyber Monday and, to ensure a slice of the increased online spend, nearly 84% of online retailers plan to feature Cyber Monday promotions and special offers this year.

That figure is up 72% on last year, found the latest eHoliday Survey conducted by Shopzilla for Shop.org.

Specific deals are the most popular, with 39% of online retailers planning them, followed by email campaigns (33%) and one-day sales (25%).

A quarter of online retailers will offer free shipping on all purchases.

By all accounts there won't be a shortage of shoppers looking for deals on Cyber Monday as it becomes more popular than Black Friday (45% vs. 10%). It appears Cyber Monday has now entered shopper's psyches as being synonymous with bargains. The survey found that of the 43% of shoppers who claimed to have shopped last Cyber Monday, 63% reported finding great deals, paving the way for further bargain hunting this year.

Last year, consumers spent $733 million on online shopping during Cyber Monday.

Tags: bargain hunting, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, free shipping, online shopping, promotions, special offers