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Move over Cyber Monday, now there is Mega Monday. Smart merchants have realized that the right marketing can lead to sales way before Christmas, during the holiday, and even the few days afterwards. The cash registers are ringing up furious sales the day after Christmas, which fell on a Monday this year causing merchants to dub it “Mega Monday.” There are a few good reasons for the extra interest in shopping, even or consumers who may have led the charge during Black Friday sales: hefty discounts, entertainment, and gift cards.

Hefty Discounts

Retailers are trying to get sales in before the end of the year, so they can count it into their income. This has caused a traffic increase of about 60 percent when compared to last year. Shoppers are also interested in stocking up on seasonal items for next year, like holiday decorations, Christmas wrappings, and toys. Those will most likely be stashed in an attic or closet waiting for next year’s holiday season.

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Popular Day to Shop

Mega Monday has turned into the third biggest shopping day of 2011. That’s good news for retailers who are already seeing something to be joyful about this season: Increased sales. The National Retail Federation is already upgrading their 2.6 percent growth rate to 3.8 percent based on the pre-Christmas sales alone. Even people who went into the store to return items they received have stuck around to shop a little more. In the case where a cash refund is not allowed for a return, then store credit might be issued forcing some customers to shop whether they want to or not.

Gift Cards

Gift cards also play an important role this year in getting customers back into the stores before New Year’s Day. Gift cards have expiration dates on them that start from when they are purchased, not on Christmas Day. Other cards can depreciate over time leaving the recipient with less money to use than if they ran to the store to cash it in for something they wanted. The sooner a person redeems the gift card, the better chances they will get the full face value. Many retailers have been diligent in informing their customers about the rules associated with gift cards and the need to redeem them early. This has benefited retailers who offer deals after Christmas to encourage shoppers to redeem their cards so that they can include that income in this year’s tally.

Whole Families Appear

It is not just the lone bargain hunter that is appearing out to score some ribbons and wrapping paper. Retailers are noticing entire families showing up at their stores, making Mega Monday a possible new holiday tradition for budget-conscious families. They are showing up to get gifts even after the holidays, and it is not small gifts, but large ones – like furniture or large big screen televisions. Some retailers think it might be a new and welcome tradition in the making. Just like some families look forward to snagging great deals during Black Friday, today’s savvy consumers are also having fun with after-Christmas specials.