SIKESTON -- For those who lost out on a specific item or who simply opted out of Black Friday, they may find just what they're looking for if they choose to shop online during Cyber Monday.
As many as 79 million people shopped on Black Friday last holiday season, but that doesn't touch the 96.5 million who shopped online for Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation.
Cyber Monday, a term coined by Shop.org in 2005, began after retailers noticed a trend of people shopping online on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Today, Cyber Monday is viewed as the online equivalent to Black Friday.
For an online shopper like Heather Payne of Sikeston -- who said she refuses to participate in Black Friday ("I don't like the crowds or to stand in line, and I don't like mean people," she said.) -- Cyber Monday is ideal.
Payne said she prefers to shop online, especially for merchandise or retailers not available in the region.
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