LI, national retailers look to cash in on Cyber Monday growth

Retailers, including many on Long Island, are hoping to cash in on the $6.6 billion that shoppers were expected to spend nationwide on Cyber Monday.

Farmingdale-based retailer P.C. Richard & Son said its Cyber Monday sales were up 30 percent from last year as of Monday afternoon.

“I definitely think the economy has something to do with the growth,” said Gregg Richard, president and CEO of P.C. Richard & Son. “But I also think more people are waiting for this day. It’s a fun way to shop. It’s convenient, it’s easy and it’s fun.”

P.C. Richard was offering deep discounts throughout its site, including a 58-inch, 4K Smart TV for $598. The television usually costs $899, Richard said.

Blum’s, a Patchogue-based swimwear and intimate apparel store, discounted items in its online catalog by 20 percent and stopped charging for shipping on Cyber Monday.

Two Long Island-based fragrance retailers, Deer Park-based Fragrance.com and Bellport-based Perfumania, as well as Carle Place-based online florist and gift company 1-800-Flowers.com, also had Cyber Monday sales online.

Perfumania had some items at 50 percent off, while Fragrance.com was discounting some products by more than 50 percent. 1-800-Flowers had a 25 percent discount on flowers and gifts.

Most national retailers also offered aggressive discounts as they looked to get their piece of the action. Online sales are expected to increase 16 percent, year over year,, according to Adobe Analytics, the research arm of software maker Adobe.

Target and Toys R Us offered 15 percent off most items on their sites. Dick’s Sporting Goods offered 25 percent off all orders, along with free shipping.

Walmart.com tripled the amount of items available for sale from last year. And Amazon.com — which consulting firm Bain & Co. says is expected to capture 50 percent of all online sales growth — offered similar deals on its gadgets as it did on Black Friday, and offered new deals on Lego sets and Hasbro games. French clothing designer Lacoste marked down its online offerings by 40 percent as well.

“The expectation is Cyber Monday is going to set records,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for the NPD Group in Port Washington. “I’m not convinced yet, because there have been sales for the last week. If we include the entire week, yes, perhaps. But just for Cyber Monday? It could go either way.”

With AP