Recently we reported that so-called “Cyber Monday” might be a mere marketing myth invented by the National Retail Federation.

To test the theory we pinged some of the major online outlets to see what their Cyber Monday plans were. Their gut spilling, inside…

Retailers indicated a definite traffic increase on Cyber Monday. According to a study Google released, around ten percent of all employed US adults may visit an online shop this Monday. A spokesman for Barnes and Noble echoed the same, saying that Cyber Monday sales are usually, “up 70 percent over the previous Monday.”

Cyber Monday is the beginning of the online holiday shopping season, but do these retailers plan on thanking us for dispensing of our hard earned money? What specials and deals will lure us into the deep-linked pages of their wares? — BEN POPKEN

Cyber Monday Promotions

• Buy.com – Storewide deals. Our picks: Samsonite Sport Backpack for $29.99, and Xbox 360 Wireless Headset for $52.66, and Simpsons Season 1 for $18. When you use Google Checkout, $10 off $30 and $20 off $50.

• Staples.com – 19″ Widescreen Monitor after “combined” savings and more.

• Bestbuy.com Free 400$ Massage Chair to watch your 999$ TV with, and more.

• Walmart.com – A variety of items discounted, including a Garmin I-5 GPS for 289.00

• Macy’s: free shipping on orders over $100.

Holiday Promotions that include Cyber Monday

• Google Checkout – Use Google Checkout with participating merchants and save 10$ on purchases of 30$ or more. This includes over a hundred merchants with some big names like Buy.com, Toys R’ Us, and Ace hardware.

• Overstock.com – Free shipping Wednesday (11/22) – Tuesday (11/28).

• Amazon.com – An Amazon spokesman said their “Amazon Customer Vote” promotion will run for the next few weeks, where customers vote on which items to deeply discount. Last week’s was a Core Xbox 360’s at 200$ off retail.

• Paypal.com – A smorgasboard of offerings through various online merchants, including Barnes & Noble, Petsmart, and Dell. Most including Free Shipping but a few other goodies spice the mix.

• JCPenney.com – Free shipping on orders of 49$ or more with code WPTHX49.

• OfficeDepot.com – 25% off all PSP games, Savings on selected merchandise, free shipping (with restrictions)

• Target.com – Free shipping on select items through Cyber Monday.

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