Black Friday was not the only opportunity to score great deals over the weekend. Cyber Monday allowed shoppers to buy big-ticket items from their own homes and avoid the long lines and crowds of people that come along with Black Friday.

Some sites extended their sales past Monday. Amazon.com expected their limited deals to sell out quickly, but promised customers that they would “add new ones throughout the day, all week long.”

Amazon.com discounts include 20 percent or more off laptops and tablets, up to 55 percent off popular book titles and up to a 50 percent reduction on toy items.

The Modesto Dealsaver offered several discounts for local businesses. The Dealsaver included a  one-day unlimited admission Extreme Fun Pass to FUNWORKS! at 50 percent off and a $25 gift certificate to Escalon Golf for only $12.50.

“I’m really happy that the Modesto Dealsaver is having a Cyber Monday of their own,” Riverbank resident Nicole Hope said. “I feel like buying from it will contribute to the local economy.”

Cyber Monday has become so popular that there is a website strictly devoted to the event. Cybermonday2012.com had markdowns on various items including clothing, airline tickets, and magazine subscriptions.

OxfordDictionaries.com defines Cyber Monday as “the Monday after Thanksgiving [that is] promoted by online retailers as a day of exceptional deals.” The introduction of smartphones and tablets to the market has steadily increased the revenue for Cyber Monday. 

Revenue statistics were not available at press time, but sales were estimated to hit $1.5 billion, a 20 percent increase from last year.

Some have abandoned Black Friday shopping in preference for Cyber Monday.
“I prefer doing my shopping online,” Modesto resident Ariana Layman said. “It makes no sense to stand in a super long line outside in the cold for hours just for a few material items. Nothing is worth that much to me to do that.”