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Cyber Monday, or the first Monday following Thanksgiving, has become a hit for online retailers and shoppers who would rather click through their holiday shopping list than fight over a parking space at the mall.
For two local retailers who do a lot of business online, Cyber Monday has turned into one of the most important business days of the year.
"It's critical because come January, we don't see any sales. Then the summer comes and we're not going to sell any books," said Mimi Heller, owner of Cookbooks Plus in downtown Newhall.
Her business has stacked up 2,000 of its most popular titles in anticipation of Cyber Monday, which she hopes will yield big sales.
"This coming Monday should be the best day of the year," she said.
Heller's confidence follows six consecutive Mondays in which she has raked in significant online sales.
Dave Joseph, co-owner of B&R Art Gallery in Canyon Country, said online sales are a good supplement for any business owner's income.
"There will always be the retail outlets, but more people will turn to online shopping because of the convenience," he said.
Joseph sells fine art and custom picture frames.
For customers who plan to skip the lines and shop online, the Better Business Bureau has some advice.
The BBB urges consumers to trust their instincts because offers that sound too good to be true often are.
Keep documentation of your order when you shop online and check your credit card statements often for suspicious activity. A computer used for shopping should have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, antivirus and anti-spyware software.
Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised - or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days. If the goods aren't shipped on time, the shopper can cancel and demand a refund.
