Cyber Monday refers to the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend where many online stores offer huge discounts. The deals last 24 hours during which shoppers can find deals online or in store. True to its name, most deals are cyber deals—on computers, TVs, and other electronics.

The term was coined in 2005 by Ellen Davis, senior vice president of research and strategic initiatives for the National Retail Federation.

The NRF had noticed a recurring spike in online revenue and traffic on the Monday following Thanksgiving. They believed it was due to the urge to buy early gifts from the comfort of their homes or work without their children finding out.

“Cyber Monday wasn’t very popular at all a few years ago. There was a hype to going out at midnight after Thanksgiving to get all the best deals which I think is lost now. Now that we are able to get the same or even better deals online, what’s the point of rushing to stores Thursday night?” says Ellen Vanhole, AV student parent.

Possibly due to easier access provided by technology, the Cyber Monday sales have gradually increased over the years. It has become the biggest online shopping day of the year.

“I think a lot of retailers recognize that people like the Black Friday deals but not all of them want to go out and you know deal with the crowds so it’s just easier to shop online on Monday instead,” said Bella Huyler (‘19).

Last year, in 2017, Americans spent more than $6.59 billion. And in the year before, $3.45 billion online for Cyber Monday.

“I will definitely go shopping on Cyber Monday because the deals are so good and a lot of my favorite stores are half off or even more. I will probably sit down and shop for a few hours and look for the best deals,” says Isabella Clark (‘19).

According to Adobe Analytics, which tracks online sales, Cyber Monday 2018 is expected to be the largest online shopping day in US history, generating $7.8 billion in sales, more than 17% increase from 2016.

Cyber Monday will only gain more and more popularity as years go by. Shopping online in the comfort of your own home has understandably beat the idea physically going into stores. The increase in sales is so significant that one day it is likely to make Black Friday a day to forget completely.