American consumers are about to click their way into the record books.
Cyber Monday is expected to generate $7.8 billion in sales, up nearly 18% on last year, which would make it the biggest online shopping day in the U.S., according to Adobe Analytics.
That’s more than the $6.2 billion in online sales for Black Friday, up nearly 24% on last year. But it still pales in comparison to China’s $30.8 billion in spending on Alibaba Singles Day last month.
Some stores started their Cyber Monday sales early. Macy’s M, -1.78% has been offering “cyber week” deals until Wednesday.
Bed, Bath & Beyond BBBY, -0.55% unveiled online discounts on Sunday and Amazon AMZN, -0.97% also let Prime members get a head start on Sunday.
Electronics tend to take the spotlight on Cyber Monday, said Sarah Hollenbeck, a shopping and retail expert at BlackFriday.com.
Stores offer better deals on laptops, desktops and gaming computers on Cyber Monday than Black Friday, and also lower prices for accessories, she said.
Some products, including smartphones, jewelry, toys, may be cheaper at other times of year (Valentine’s Day for diamonds and New Year’s Day for exercise equipment).
Experts warn against buying older or discontinued smart-home device models because they may lack customer support and security updates.
Consumer advocates also advise consumers to stick to a strict budget, avoid add-ons, and use price-comparison tools like Shopify and PriceGrabber.
To avoid retailers targeting you with products in the days and weeks after Cyber Monday, experts suggest clearing your cache.
