Are You Prepared for a Cyber Shopping Spree?
This year online sales are projected to hit record high.
If you missed out on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday you still may be in luck. Cyber Monday kicks off tomorrow with businesses big and small looking to sell in big numbers.
The retail holiday has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years. Shop.org coined the term "Cyber Monday" in 2005 when technology caught up with demand as retailers found ways to make Black Friday type sales without customers having to line up during the early morning hours.
According to the National Retail Federation, NRF, Cyber Monday this year plans to be the biggest yet as nine out of ten retailers plan special promotions to lure customers into making purchases online. And many retailers are working to find ways to drive people to their sites whether it's free shipping, hourly specials or a special Cyber Monday email that magically appears in your inbox.
In a survey published by the NRF, people rolling out of bed in their pj's are not the only ones looking for deals. More than 70.1 million people, or 54.5 percent of workers with Internet access will be shopping from their office chair.
So whether you're rolling out of bed or taking a lunch break from work to do some holiday gift shopping, you might want to check out the following sites for a comprehensive listing of featured deals throughout the day:
On the local level, Whole Foods on Walnut Street is offering a Cyber Monday deal today in its flower department. Anyone who goes to the flower department today and mentions Cyber Monday will receive a free "value bouquet," according to the store's Facebook page.
And if you're willing to leave the computer today, there are plenty of shopping options in Newton. Check out our Black Friday preview story and feel free to browse through our comprehensive business directory.
Don't forget to keep us updated! If you see a deal that you think others should know about post it in our shout out box on the front page or send an e-mail to Melanie.Graham@patch.com.