SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More customers are turning to online shopping for convenience, and retailers are capitalizing on this trend by promoting numerous deals for Cyber Monday. As shoppers seek the best prices, experts recommend several strategies to maximize savings.
"I've been looking at the websites of the brands I frequently buy from, because I don't want to pay full price for those," said Vernita, a shopper preparing for Cyber Monday deals.
Many shoppers like Vernita have developed game plans to secure their favorite items on Cyber Monday. While shoppers packed stores and malls on Black Friday, the number of consumers making purchases on Cyber Monday continues to grow.
According to data from DemandSage, an online platform that collects data on different industries, consumers spent $13.3 billion during Cyber Monday in 2024, which is up 7.3% compared to the previous year.
Farhana Nusrat, an assistant professor at the University of San Diego, says shoppers can save money by doing research and examining a product's price history.
"Many times another thing that businesses do is just increasing their price and give you the discount so that it seems like a good deal. So price tracker is something I would highly recommend," Nusrat said.
Some shoppers say they sign up for price alerts to keep track of items they want.
"I was looking for a watch and a phone and I had alerts set for price drops," said another shopper.
Nusrat says another way to ensure you're getting the best deal is being mindful of red flags.
"It's a very red flag anytime a business is telling you that we only have two of these left and you have to buy right now, otherwise you're going to lose it. Those situations when customers need to be a little bit mindful that businesses do it so you don't have the time to think about this. The more you think, the more you will probably realize either you don't need it at all or this is not as good of a deal that you thought," Nusrat said.
Because these purchases will be made online, Nusrat recommends using a credit card instead of a debit card when checking out to protect against potential fraud.
"Making sure it's a credit card, and it's a two-factor authenticated credit card. So they need your phone number, or text messages to actually get into it," Nusrat said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
