Online Retailers Ramp Up Cyber Monday

Could the Internet help lift consumer spending this holiday season?

With storm clouds still gathering over the U.S. economy, online retailers are pulling out all the stops for Cyber Monday, which marks the start of the official online holiday shopping period.

Almost 84% of online retailers will have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, according to National Retail Federation (NRF) research, up from 72% last year, underlining nervousness about the state of consumer spending.

Despite an increasingly gloomy retail outlook, the Internet may offer some bright spots for the holiday, according to Youssef Squali, an analyst at Jefferies & Company. ...