<P> According to a survey by the Canadian Toy Association, peak sales in the toy industry occur in the Christmas and holiday season, but this peak has been occurring later and later in the season every year . </P> <P> In 2005, the kick - off to the Christmas and holiday season for online shopping, the first Monday after US Thanksgiving, was named Cyber Monday . Although it was a peak, that was not the busiest on - line shopping day of that year . The busiest on - line shopping days were December 12 and 13, almost two weeks later; the second Monday in December has since become known as Green Monday . Another notable day is Free Shipping Day, a promotional day that serves as the last day in which a person can order a good online and have it arrive via standard shipping (the price of which the sender pays) prior to Christmas Eve; this day is usually on or near December 16 . Four of the largest 11 on - line shopping days in 2005 were December 11 to 16, with an increase of 12% over 2004 figures . In 2011, Cyber Monday was slightly busier than Green Monday and Free Shipping Day, although all three days registered sales of over US $1 billion, and all three days registered gains ranging from 14% to 22% over the previous year . Analysts had predicted the peak on December 12, noting that Mondays are the most popular days for on - line shopping during the holiday shopping season, in contrast to the middle of the week during the rest of the year . They attribute this to people "shopping in stores and malls on the weekends, and (...) extending that shopping experience when they get into work on Monday" by "looking for deals, (...) comparison shopping and (...) finding items that were out of stock in the stores". </P> <P> In 2006, the average US household was expected to spend about $1,700 on Christmas and holiday spendings . Retail strategists such as ICSC Research observed in 2005 that 15% of holiday expenditures were in the form of gift certificates, a percentage that was rising . So they recommended that retailers manage their inventories for the entire holiday shopping season, with a leaner inventory at the start and new winter merchandise for the January sales . </P> <P> Michael P. Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the Shopping Center Council, states that he expects gift certificate usage to be between US $30 billion and US $40 billion in the 2006 / 2007 holiday shopping season . On the basis of the growing popularity of gift certificates, he states that "To get a true picture of holiday sales, one may consider measuring October, November, December and January sales combined as opposed to just November and December sales .", because with "a hefty amount of that spending not hitting the books until January, extending the length of the season makes sense". </P>

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