Cyber Monday deals

TAMPA - Throngs of bleary-eyed and strong-armed sale shoppers spent more than $10.7 billion on the day after Thanksgiving, according to early estimates.  And a steady stream of customers is keeping stores busy.

Junior Almonte is one of those shoppers. 

"The holidays haven't haven't even started yet and already more than $500, almost a thousand dollars," he said of his spending, pointing to his children. "Three kids!"

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For more on Cyber Monday deals:  http://www.cybermonday.com/

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The little ones disagreed over who was on the nice or naughty lists, but they agreed on what they hope to see under the Christmas tree: a Nintendo Wii game console.

"It's awesome," said Almonte's 10-year-old daughter Melanie. "I really want it."

With the busiest and most hyped shopping day of the year over, retailers are turning their attention to "Cyber Monday."

Online, stores are advertising sales for the first business day following the long holiday weekend, hoping to capitalize on workers who are bored enough to continue holiday shopping.

Macy's has twisted the traditional "Doorbuster" sale into what it is calling a "Cyber Buster" event, offering deep price cuts on housewares, clothing, jewelry, and more.

As with Black Friday, electronics discounts abound.

"It's definitely one of those things to look out for," said Best Buy's Lee Wilson. "For the people who weren't able to make it out for Black Friday, you're going to find some really, really good deals."

On Sunday large outfits including Macy's, J.C. Penney, Amazon.com, and Staples were advertising Cyber Monday sales.

"They're going to be very, very competitive," said Wilson, who said Best Buy would offer online-only bargains and free shipping deals.

Cyber Monday pales in comparison to "Black Friday," but is nonetheless impressive in its single-day sales.

According to the retail research firm ComScore, online shoppers spent $846 million during Cyber Monday 2008.  That figure had climbed by 15% from 2007.

Some shoppers are unaware of Cyber Monday sales.

As Sherry Ford and her husband browsed for a new laptop Sunday, she had no idea waiting a day and buying online could yield some savings.

"We better take advantage of it," she said.