Cyber Monday, With Fewer Gimmicks

Shoppers who missed out on the best of Black Friday deals this weekend have another shot at stellar sales on Monday.

In previous years, Cyber Monday was more gimmick than goldmine. But for 2009, retailers appear to be taking the day’s discounts more seriously, says Randy Allen, an associate dean for Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. In part, that’s just the tough economy. But it’s also retailers finally catching up with a trend: According to Deloitte LLP, 25% of consumers plan to do the bulk of their shopping online this year. With numbers like that, retailers feel they have to discount now to get online shoppers’ attention. “You’re starting to see real deals there,” she says. According to the National Retail Federation, 87% of retailers plan to have a special promotion Monday, up from 84% last year and 72% in 2007.

Free shipping will again be a centerpiece deal — and consumers look ready to pounce. More than half say they’ll make a purchase on Cyber Monday; 25% say they will shop from work, reports price-comparison search engine PriceGrabber.com.

For a full rundown of deals, visit CyberMonday.com. The NRF offshoot partnered with more than 650 retailers, many of which are offering exclusive codes and sales. The site also plans to offer hourly specials throughout the day. (Be sure to check out our guides to Black Friday weekend shopping and door-buster deals before hitting the sales, to ensure you’re getting the best price.)

Here’s a sampling of the deals retailers are offering:

Amazon.com
Check the Cyber Monday deals page for today-only specials as well as lightning deals, which run until a set quantity of an item sells or time runs out, whichever occurs first.

Children’s Place
Free shipping on all orders when you use coupon code FSCM9 at checkout.

Express
Get free shipping with a $100 purchase.

Famous Footwear
Save 20% on your purchase when you use coupon code CYBER09 at checkout.

iGourmet.com
Pay $50 for the site’s Basket of Meat & Cheese Favorites. You’ll save $20 (29%).

Linens-n-Things
Save 20% on one item when you use coupon code cyberMonday20 at checkout.

Naturalizer
Save 20% on your purchase when you use coupon code CYBERNAT at checkout.

The North Face
Free shipping on all orders.

Toys R Us
Web site deals available while supplies last. Deals include discounts of up to 70% on action figures, buy-two-get-one-free Nerf blasters and a 17% discount on a DJ Hero bundle ($99 instead of $120).