Online Retailers Gear Up For Cyber Monday Onslaught

Beginning in the wee hours of this morning, web servers around the world will be stretched to their limits. Today is Cyber Monday, the web’s version of Black Friday whereby online retailers offer some of their best deals of the season.

Cyber Monday is the first work day following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend when workers head back to their places of employment, log on to their computers, and shop. Needless to say it is a particularly unproductive day at some places of business as employees don’t get much done.

Before you run off to other websites to explore what deals are out there, consider the following tips first:

1. Shop Early – Though online retailers aren’t likely to run out of stock permanently, you’ll want to do your shopping as early in the day possible in order to avoid servers stretched to capacity.

At the height of the day is when most people will be online, which means that your retailer’s web site may crash if too many people try to shop at the same time.

2. Compare Offers – Amazon is one of the largest online retailers and is, as such, a price leader. However, their prices can be beat if you know how and where to shop. PriceGrabber.com, BizRate.com, MySimon.com, and Shopzilla.com are among the top sites for comparing prices.

3. Phone Apps – Sophisticated shoppers armed with phone applications (apps) such as Yowza can find bargains locally. Sometimes waiting for a product to arrive after an online purchase can stretch your patience, therefore Yowza might be a better way to go.

Downloaded to your iPhone, Yowza uses GPS technology to find store coupons in your area. Coupon Sherpa, Valpak, and mobiQpons are other services worth exploring.

4. Shop Secured – If you’re an avid web user than you already know to only shop at a secured site. A site is secured if the web page includes an extra “s” in the address such as “https” and if you can locate a closed padlock in the corner, top, or bottom of your browser screen.

Hover over that icon and it will tell you that it has been “Authenticated by GoDaddy, Inc.” or some other service.

5. Shop At Home – Lastly, the one tip many people don’t want to hear is this one: shop on your own time and on your own computer. Your employer is paying you to work which means that you should shop on your own time, not on company time.

If your work computer is faster than your home computer and your employer doesn’t mind you using it, then do your shopping while on break, at lunch or before or after work. Don’t give your employer cause to discipline or terminate you; no online deal is worth pursuing if risks are involved.

Happy Shopping!

Online retailers are battling brick and mortar merchants for customers now more than ever. For savvy shoppers, this can mean that you’ll find some of the best deals if you shop around.

Adv. — Shop NBuy Plaza for online bargains from more than 5000 retailers.  Find best buys on the Holiday Shopping page or peruse our Bargain Basement for some of the best deals out there. Visit our Party Planning page for Christmas and New Year’s party ideas!

Tags: Black Friday, Christmas shopping, Cyber Monday, phone applications, secured websites, Thanksgiving

Happy “the day after” to you and yours – the day after Thanksgiving, that is.

Today marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season, the countdown to Christmas which is less than four weeks away. Hopefully, you’ve picked your bird clean, polished off the last of the pumpkin pie, and sent unwanted leftovers home with your guests. After eating the equivalent of three meals in one sitting, you’ll need to get all the exercise you can to put off undesirable bulk. So, strap on your running shoes, throw on your overcoat and do what you do best: shop!

Before you run out, do you have all the tools at your disposal to help you find the best deals? In many locations, the Thanksgiving Day newspaper is the biggest issue of the year – jam packed with ads, advice, and savings tips. You’ll end up spending a significant chunk of your time sifting through all of the ads, but here is one bit of advice that you cannot discount: pull out those ads for stores you’ll want to visit and toss the rest.

Many stores will open early and some will offer specials during their first few hours, great buys that aren’t offered at any other time of the year. This means that if you hit the store when it opens at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m., you stand a chance of finding that four-slice two-slot bagel crisping toaster that your Aunt Bertha wants. Who cares that she lives alone and has no use for the thing? That’s what she wants, so be a good nephew or niece and line up at your local Global*Mart at 4:30 to secure your place in line.

Okay, so getting up before the sun rises isn’t your cup of tea, then what? Well, you’re probably still in luck. Some stores will be fairly well picked over by 8, while others will be restocking all day long. What’s more, you’ll find stores having specials in the morning – 7 to 11/12 – and in the afternoon – 12/1 to 5 – perhaps in the evening too. This year, with the economy being so tight, retailers are competing for customers and will be offering their best deals early. So, if you can’t stand being online out in the cold at some awful hour, grab a cup of coffee and head out a few hours later.

While malls will be jam packed, don’t forget downtown areas even if your business district is only a shell of its former self. Lots of mom and pop stores are still out there, some selling jewelry, others selling clothing, while still others featuring household items. You may not find the best prices on Black Friday at one of these stores but you’ll have smaller crowds to contend with and enjoy one attribute lacking almost everywhere else: customer service.

Finally, if even leaving the home has you dreading traffic, crowds, rude people, and the attendant sore feet, why not simply skip the shopping and stay at home? Computers are a great way to get your shopping done as some of the best buys can be found right online. In fact, the busiest online shopping day is Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving when holiday weary employees return to work, log on, and continue to shop…on company time!

Adv. — Do you need some great gift ideas? Does the thought of venturing out to the mall have you stressed even feeling anxious? If so, then look for what you want to buy online! Visit nBuy Plaza to find better deals than your local strip mall. While there, print out Santa’s List and download your free Christmas Party Holiday Kit to help you plan your social events for the month of December, even beyond. Happy shopping!

Tags: Advent, Black Friday, Christmas gifts, Christmas Party, Cyber Monday, nBuy Plaza, Santa's List, Thanksgiving Day