Cyber Monday

Today, retailers get a second chance to improve their bottom line, by enticing people at home and at work to shop online, by offering special deals and incentives for Christmas shoppers and discount hounds around the world. Results from Black Friday indicate that while shoppers were out, most spent less than last year. That's not surprising given the recession and economic downturn over the past 12 months, not to mention the fact that more Americans have lost their jobs during the same time period. While online shopping is convenient and offers another avenue for retailers to sell goods, it doesn't necessarily help those looking for hot toys and gadgets. The Zhu Zhu Pet for example is sold out on the Toys R US website and appears to be available only for those willing to pay triple the price on eBay. It seems to me that stores should limit the number of items sold to prevent the practice of resellers who snap up all the hot toys each year to make a quick buck on eBay at the expense of parents trying to surprise their children on Christmas morning. Either the people at Toys R US do a terrible job of forecasting sales or the vendors can't keep up with demand. Apple seems to be the only store that tries to match product with demanding consumers and keep their items off the eBay black market.