In recent years, ‘Cyber’ or ‘Mega Monday’ has been coined by the online retail industry as the busiest online shopping day of the year.

This year it seems to have fallen early – before the advent month of December had even started.

So are we all buying presents a tad early this year? Or are we in for a bigger Monday in December? Last year’s busiest day fell on Monday 8th December in the UK.

Industry analysts are already counting the pennies spent, and have blown the whistle a week early in declaring this year’s Cyber Monday as the 30th November – with Visa estimating around £300m being spent online.

According to ecommerce software provider ekmPowershop.com, a survey of over 6,000 online shops revealed that online spending is up on last year by around 21.3% in the independent retail sector.

Antony Chesworth, Managing Director of ekmPowershop.com comments “We have seen another year of increased spending in the online sector. Despite the recession and businesses closing due to the climate around them, consumers still seem to be increasing their online spends. The perceived savings offered by online retailers over the high street is proving to have counteracted the impact of the recession for online retailers in general. Some are still facing the challenges of the economic downturn, as despite year on year growth in demand; supply chain failure is now becoming a more prominent issue. The continued rise in demand pitted against issues of supply seems to be the biggest challenge for the online sector over the next 12 months in the UK. ”

To put the level of year on year growth, and popularity of online shopping into perspective: John Lewis actually recorded bigger sales in one day last month (November 22 2009), than on Cyber Monday last year (the biggest day of 2008). Could they be in for an even bigger Monday in the December weeks to come? Along with the rest of the online community, they will be hoping, and probably projecting ‘Yes’.