Shop with no hassles on Cyber Monday: Online spending expected to exceed $486 million this season

Posted by: Andrew Pia

Written by: K.O. Jackson

Nov. 29--Concerns about the H1N1 virus and being around infected individuals may have kept some shoppers home on Black Friday.

But for anyone who missed out, there's always safe, at-home shopping on Cyber Monday.

Always the Monday after Black Friday, Cyber Monday is considered the unofficial start of the Christmas online shopping season.

Theresa D. Williams, director of the Center for Education and Research in Retailing at Indiana University's Kelly School of Business, said in-store crowds may be smaller this holiday shopping season in part because of an early flu season and the H1N1 virus.

Plus, people who have been sick and lost time at work, which can affect take-home pay, could have less money to spend, whether it be in stores or online.

"It's certainly going to have an impact on discretionary spending if you are paid hourly," said Williams, adding her center projects November-December retail sales to total $437 billion.

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