The holidays are nearly underway when students finish their trek through finals and return home for sacred family time. Although the warm weather might cloak winter’s arrival, this time of year signals a chance for many to indulge in cheery spirits and liven up with a deserving break away from coursework pressures.

And what would this cherished time be like without gifts?

A whole lot different, considering that millions turn out each year for the shopping sensation Black Friday.

Usually a midnight ritual, controversy arose this year when several retailers opened hours before Thanksgiving ended, cutting into precious holiday time among employees and customers. But Black Friday wasn’t the only chaotic consumer holiday this year. A new frenzy called Cyber Monday attracted a great deal of consumers as well. Known as the bulk online shopping equivalent of Black Friday, its presence can be felt among students on campus.

“I used online sites to purchase all I needed for the upcoming break,” said Dimitri Lazaridis, freshman in DGS. An avid shopper, he chose to switch to online shopping this year for efficiency. “It’s a lot better than having to deal with the crowds since it saves time and a lot of effort.”

Many Americans seemed to reach the same conclusion for this year’s holiday shopping. Online sales rose 30.3 percent on Cyber Monday, according to developer network ChannelAdvisor, and could account for more than 10 percent of holiday sales this year.

Sales on popular websites such as Amazon and eBay rose over 30 percent, although much of the online momentum have come from popular retail stores such as Macy’s, Target and Costco. Retail sales hold most of the holiday revenue, but it is more than evident that online sales are skyrocketing.

“The freedom that comes with shopping online is one of its big draws,” Lazaridis said. “Instead of cutting coupons, it’s so much quicker to use your phone to check prices or stick to several programs that do the work for you.”

Laziridis recommended phone applications such as RedLaser and Snaptell that track the prices of products across multiple websites for comparison. He also mentioned another application called Lemon that can track users’ spending so their holiday fun will never become too fun, he joked.

Websites like FreePriceAlerts offer the same comparison help as RedLaser. Others such as Decide or BuyLater notify users with pricing news so that they can buy their favorite products at their lowest price. Many apps and websites perform similar functions, providing any motivated customer with numerous ways that make shopping easier.

Other students prefer to shop online for reasons other than efficiency.

“It’s harder to shop around here because stores are far away and going online can get around that,” said Margaret Hung, sophomore in LAS. “It’s convenient and free shipping makes it easy to return something if I don’t like it.”

Lauren Chimitris, freshman in DGS, echoed Hung’s reasons for shopping online — lack of time and transportation. Buying holiday gifts online saved her time for schoolwork and made it easier to find gifts for family members.

“I wouldn’t have enough time to shop when I get home for break, so buying something online can help plan for the future in that way,” Chimitris said.

Although shopping online can prove to be convenient for students, some may prefer to purchase their products in person for different reasons.

“Clothes and shoes are usually what I buy, and those are things I’d prefer to actually have a hold on,” Hung said. “I can have a better grasp of what I’m buying that way.”

Despite preferences, shopping online has undoubtedly risen in popularity because of the advantages provided by current technology.

For students and other Cyber Monday shoppers, there’s much more to buy online for cheaper prices.

“I purchase most of my clothes online, and I have a lot of clothes,” Chimitris said. “A lot.”

Adlai can be reached [email protected].