Now that the serenity of Thanksgiving and the chaos of Black Friday have come and gone, retailers are enjoying Cyber Monday, the latest in a string of indicators that the holiday shopping season is upon us.

Cyber Monday, which is always scheduled for the Monday after Thanksgiving, is an online shopping opportunity when Internet retailers offer low prices and sometimes free shipping with a guarantee of delivery by Christmas Eve. The shopping event always does big business, but 2012 is en route to being one of the largest Cyber Monday shopping sprees ever.

This year, Americans are expected to spend as much as $2 billion on retail items during the Cyber Monday Sales event, according to research data from Adobe Systems Inc. The respective number would be an 18 percent increase from the amount spent on Cyber Monday in 2011.

Another big area of growth on Cyber Monday will likely be the amount of items bought from a mobile device. Adobe anticipated that about 21 percent of total online sales during Cyber Monday will come from a mobile device, more than double the amount of mobile activity during the sales holiday last year.

In anticipation of Cyber Monday, big retailers already rolled out the deals they plan to offer to consumers. Walmart announced some of the most significant price cuts it will give customers on Nov. 26. Some of the most high-profile deals from Walmart include the following:

  • Samsung 55" 1080p Class LED Smart 3D HDTV - $1498 ($1,000 savings)
  • Samsung 40" 1080p Class LED HDTV - $598 (nearly $400 savings)
  • Xbox 360 Skylanders Family Fun Bundle - $159 (nearly $100 savings)
  • Double Power T-711 with WiFi 7" Tablet, Featuring Android 4.0 - $59 (nearly $40 savings)
  • Little Tikes Kitchen - $50 (nearly $30 savings)

Walmart President and CEO Joel Anderson said the retail giant is gearing up for Cyber Monday with as much anticipation as possible, and the company expects to do big business that day.

"We're making this a holiday to remember with our biggest savings ever for Cyber Monday, expanded free shipping to home on more electronics and toys than ever before, and the option to pay cash for online gifts," Anderson said. "Plus, we're adding new online, mobile and social options that give Walmart customers who 'get connected' early, exclusive access to the best deals."

Tags
Cyber Monday, Walmart