Online retailers plan deals for "Cyber Monday"

A Shop.org survey issued today said that 72.2 percent of online retailers are planning a special promotion for Cyber Monday - the Monday that follows Thanksgiving - up from 42.7 percent from two years ago.

As energy prices rise and the housing slump continues, many economists fret that consumers may cut back on holiday spending this year.

To help get consumers into a free-spending holiday mood, online retailers are planning a raft of promotions; in fact, the Shop.org survey found that 24.7 percent of online retailers surveyed plan to offer free shipping on all purchases that day, said Shop.org, the division of the National Retail Federation, a trade group.

In the days of slow dial-up modems, Cyber Monday emerged as a key day for online retailers; many consumers would window-shop the malls over Thanksgiving weekend, the traditional start of the holiday retail season; then these consumers would return to work on Monday and use their employer's high-speed Internet connection to place orders with online retailers.

Even though many consumers now have high-speed Internet connections at home, both consumers and retailers have become conditioned into making Cyber Monday a big day for online shopping and promotions.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)