Some 43 percent of online merchants are planning to offer special promotions and discounts on "Cyber Monday" (coined, so to speak, by the National Retail Federation for the Monday following Thanksgiving), according to the Shop.org/BizRate Research 2005 eHoliday Mood Study, writes InternetRetailer. Sales increased substantially last year on the Monday after Thanksgiving, according to 77 percent of online retailers surveyed.

In addition, 36 percent of online retailers said they plan to offer special promotions and sales on Thanksgiving Day itself, with some planning to offer their Black Friday discounts a day early on their websites.

Some 57 percent of the online retailers said they expect holiday sales to increase 30 percent or more compared with last year; one in five said they expect sales to increase 75 percent or more.