Cyber Monday Causes Huge Problems for Retailers (and Consumers)

Though Black Friday has been the scene of carnage, avarice and wanton destruction since its inception in 500 BCE when Romans looted the retail treasure trove that was Etruscan society, the more recent "Cyber Monday" is also seeing its fair share of, err, dysfunction, as servers the world wide web over are "crashing," "grinding to a halt" or whatever euphemism you want to apply to the "series of underground tubes" that magically transports information to our optical and aural sensory organs.



Retailers watching their sites falter and fall today include Gap, Victoria's Secret, Home Depot, CompUSA while other sites, including Discovery Store and Borders, are loading at the speed and frequency of an exasperated sigh. The causes of these problems can generally be attributed to the effects of unexpected spikes in visitor traffic, much in the same fashion as a storefront being smashed by overzealous consumers.

Though the mess will certainly clear itself up by the time "Cyber Monday" wanes into "Plain Ol' Tuesday," whether or not the deals will linger longer due to the figurative "breakdown" of servers is anybody's guess. But, going out on limb: considering the whole, you know, global economic solvency crisis, "deals" will likely grow in abundance as threats of deflation make it necessary to skim profit margins in favor of, you know, surviving beyond the fourth quarter.

Save yourself some time and check out the Holiday Gift Blog, which constantly updates you on the latest deals (Cyber Monday or otherwise). Oh, and don't forget the list of the best Gifts Under $50 on the Holiday Center.