by Claudia Bruemmer

A Shop.com Survey reports that half of online retailers plan special offers on Turkey Day. And over 90 percent of e-retailers will offer deals over the Black Friday holiday weekend, including discounts, coupons and free shipping.

A little over half of U.S. online retailers (51%) indicated they would tempt consumers on Thursday by offering special promotions good only on Thanksgiving Day, according to survey results released by Shop.org, the ecommerce branch of the National Retail Federal trade group. The report found nearly eight out of ten retailers will offer promotions on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, now known as Cyber Monday. Overall, 92.2 percent of online merchants will offer deals over Thanksgiving weekend, hoping to drive holiday sales as consumers enjoy turkey leftovers from the fridge.

The survey, conducted by BIGresearch for Shop.org, polled 1,685 consumers and 51 online retailers in September and October 2011. BIGresearch consumer insights director Pam Goodfellow said, “Consumers have come to expect the absolute best online holiday deals on Cyber Monday. Holiday shoppers love the idea of preparing for special online sales events as many begin scanning catalogs and retailers’ websites days in advance, marking gift items for their family, friends and even themselves.”

According to Shop.org, the specials on Cyber Monday will vary. For example, 45 percent of retailers will try to attract shoppers with coupons or percent-off deals, while nearly 38 percent will use limited-time discounts. On the other hand, 30 percent will offer free standard shipping, with unspecified conditions, while 15 percent plan to offer free gifts with purchases.

The Shop.org survey reports that employers will see a drop-off in productivity as the holiday shopping season heats up as 58 percent of consumers will shop from office computers this year.

Results from another survey by comparison shopping engine PriceGrabber.com polled 2,322 U.S. online consumers in September and October and found that only 12 percent of consumers plan to shop from work on Cyber Monday with 4 percent shopping from their mobile devices and 84 percent purchasing from home. While those consumers plan to shop early in the day, 33 percent plan to shop for gifts between 5 a.m. and 8:59 a.m., and another 29 percent hope to make purchases between 9 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. More men than women (36 percent vs. 31 percent) plan to shop in the morning.

“Our survey findings reveal that consumers are largely aware of the great deals and offers available on retailer sites on Cyber Monday, and we aren’t surprised to see them shop during the earlier part of the day or before arriving at work to take advantage of the great bargains before the best items are sold out,” said Graham Jones, general manager of PriceGrabber. “While most consumers plan to shop from a home computer on Cyber Monday, we expect mobile shopping to have an undeniable presence this year, allowing even busy commuters to make the most of what retailers are sure to offer.”

Thanksgiving Day is more than just tradition − it’s a time for reflection on what to be thankful for. And for U.S. Consumers, a time to shop. Happy Thanksgiving from all the staff at TopTenWholesale and Manufacturer.com!