According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 121 million shoppers, equivalent to 49.5 percent, are planning to shop online for Cyber Monday.
The Cyber Monday Expectations Survey, which was conducted over the weekend after Black Friday by Prosper Insights & Analytics, saw that the number of shoppers going to shop online deceased slightly compared to the 126.9 million shoppers that planned to join the sale last year.
The NRF's Thanksgiving results revealed that 103 million customers shopped online through the weekend.
"Unlike ten years ago, we live in a world in which you can shop anywhere at any time. It's no longer about one day, but a season of digital deals, and savvy online shoppers are ready to see what exclusive promotions retailers have in store for Cyber Monday before they checkout," said Matthew Shay, CEO and president of the NRF.
Shay added that customers have been seeing and taking advantage of promotions being rolled out by companies over the previous weeks, but for items with the right prices once Cyber Monday rolls in, these customers will still be spending and making purchases.
The survey found that 29.6 million customers, equivalent to 24.4 percent, will be using their mobile devices for Cyber Monday shopping, while eight out of every 10 respondents, or 80 percent, will be using their desktop computers at home. Mobile retail purchases continue to increase as customers increase their reliance on tablets and smartphones to look up products and search for gift ideas.
Last year, the eHoliday survey of Shop.org revealed that 69.1 percent of retailers made investments to improve their mobile websites before the holiday season arrived, showing that these companies know how to prepare for shopping days mostly made through mobile by customers.
Vicki Cantrell, Shop.org executive director and the senior VP of the NRF added that customers can expect an improved mobile shopping experience, which includes the aforementioned improvements to mobile websites, offers for free shipping and updated program to purchase online and then pick up the bought items at physical stores.
The survey also found that 42.4 percent of shoppers plan to attack on Cyber Monday in the early morning, while 33 percent will be hunting for deals in the late morning. It also revealed that 16.6 percent of customers will be waiting until the lunch hour, while 29.5 percent will be waiting until the early afternoon.
