Cyber Monday was a term coined in 2005 after retailers noticed a spike in online sales between the hours of noon and 3pm on the Monday after Black Friday.<!--more--> It's been growing ever since. This year, Kathy Grannis of the National Retail Federation expects that shoppers will not disappoint, making it the biggest Cyber Monday yet.

"Retailers have been taking full advantage of the internet, social media sites and even phone apps to promote their products," said Grannis. "Many of them started with their promotions much earlier this year than they had in years past. I believe customers are going to respond."

"Cyber Monday specifically is one of the best days of the year for those who want to shop online to get fantastic deals on everything from free shipping to a percent off and even a free gift card with their purchase," said Grannis. "Online shoppers this holiday season are poised to spend more and to use all kinds of channels to find that perfect gift."

"The added bonus of never having to leave your home when shopping online certainly helps when it comes to making that final decision when hitting the 'place order' button," said Grannis.

Young adults are also a very important part of this puzzle. "With more of them on facebook, twitter and other social media sites including YouTube, retailers have learned to send their promotions out in those venues to reel those groups in," said Grannis. "The fact that many people now carry smart phones is also an added bonus because people no longer have to be physically at their computer. They can access everything right from their phone."
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://embed.newsinc.com/Single/iframe.html?WID=2&amp;VID=23551060&amp;freewheel=90736&amp;sitesection=millennium&amp;height=320&amp;width=425" width="425" height="320" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<script src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/5707736.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<noscript><a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5707736/">Participating in the Cyber Monday craze this year?</a></noscript>

More From Beach Radio