Cyber Monday deals expected to break records again

Didn’t find the TV or Play Station in stores you wanted to buy last week during Black Friday deals?

Today offers shoppers another chance at gift deals online and more money is expected to be spent on Cyber Monday than previous years, analysts said.

Cyber Monday continues to grow in popularity, said Alex Boehnke, spokesman for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, with big retailers like Walmart and Best Buy but also more small businesses getting into the day.

“The amount of businesses that participate I think will continue to grow,” Boehnke said.

The Dayton Daily News reported on many of local shops focusing on Small Business Saturday, but some advertised Cyber Monday deals as well.

Dayton Art Institute’s museum store has been advertising different deals for different annual sale days including free shipping for online orders over $10 for Cyber Monday.

“Shopping the Dayton Art Institute Museum Store is a fantastic way to get unique gifts for everyone on your holiday list, shop local and help support the Dayton Art Institute,” said Eric Brockman, Dayton Art Institute marketing and communications manager.

The line between Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the rest of the holiday shopping season has gotten increasingly blurry over the years, as sales start early and often. Some of the big chains hold “Cyber Weeks.”

BlackFriday.com analysts recommend people time Cyber Monday for deals on:

  • Laptops and PCs, with eBay, Newegg and Amazon as example of those targeting tech shoppers on Monday;
  • Clothing, with the site advising ASOS, Old Navy, J.Crew, Gap and others “have a fantastic Cyber Monday tradition” for clothing shoppers;
  • Travel, because while the industry promotes “Travel Tuesday,” BlackFriday.com says to expect some flash sales and discounts;
  • And online subscriptions, streaming services and educational software.

Black Friday itself could be better for getting deals and availability on TVs, toys, game consoles and appliances. Phones and smart home devices could be good for deals either day.

U.S. shoppers are predicted to spend $11.8 billion on Cyber Monday shopping this year, up from $10.8 billion last year and $3.45 billion in 2016, according to Adobe Analytics.

The survey by the National Retail Foundation found about 62.8 million are planning to shop for Cyber Monday, compared to 30.6 million plan to shop either in-store or online on Thanksgiving Day, 108 million on Black Friday, 58.1 million on Small Business Saturday, 31.2 million on Sunday. (The total of the daily numbers exceeds the overall figure because some consumers will shop multiple days.)

While each retailer is different, Boehnke said many started sales much earlier this year.

“Broadly speaking, I think that trend of sales starting earlier is true this year, even more so because of supply chain issues,” he said.

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