>>> ALL RIGHT, WELCOME BACK TO "GMA3," EVERYBODY. THANKSGIVING, BEHIND US. HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON IS OFFICIALLY UNDER WAY, AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIGH INFLATION FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT IT SEEMS AMERICANS ARE STILL WILLING TO REACH FOR THOSE WALLETS, SPENDING A RECO RECORD $9 BILLION IN ONLINE SALES ON BLACK FRIDAY ALONE. >> ABC NEWS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS JOINS US WITH MORE ON THAT. RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND PERHAPS WHAT TODAY IS GOING TO BRING, CYBER MONDAY? >> YOU KNOW, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT WE HAD SUCH STRONG SPENDING BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH HIGH INFLATION, SPENDING MORE FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. 60% OF AMERICANS SAY THE ECONOMY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO IMPACT THEIR HOLIDAY SPENDING THIS YEAR. SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE NOW LOOKING FOR BARGAINS. WE SAW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE INCREASE THEIR VISITS TO STORES. PEOPLE ACTUALLY VISITING THE STORES UP 3% THIS BLACK FRIDAY VERSUS LAST. I WAS ONE OF THEM. I WAS AT A MALL IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, AND WHILE IT WAS MORE CROWDED, I DIDN'T SEE PEOPLE SHOPPING. I DIDN'T WAIT ON A LOT OF LINES WHEN I WAS CHECKING OUT, PUT IT THAT WAY. I'M CALLING IT SOCIAL SHOPPING. THEY WENT, THEY CHECKED THINGS OUT, DID A LITTLE WINDOW SHOPPING, ATE OUT. RESTAURANT SALES WERE VERY HIGH THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND WHEN THEY DID WANT TO BUY, THEY DID IT ONLINE. AS YOU SAID, ONLINE SHOPPING AT A RECORD $9.12 BILLION. SOME OF THAT IS INFLATION. WE'RE PAYING MORE TO BUY LESS. BUT STILL A STRONG NUMBER, AND TODAY, CYBER MONDAY, WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO BE EVEN BETTER, EXPECTING SALES TO TOP $11.2 BILLION. IF THEY DO, IT WILL BE ANOTHER RECORD. >> DO WE SEE TRENDS ALREADY AND EVEN SOME ITEMS THAT ARE TOP SELLERS RIGHT NOW? >> THE TOP SELLERS. ELECTRONICS. ANYTHING APPLE. SOME OF THE APPLE iPHONES ARE HAVING TROUBLE, THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES ARE CREEPING BACK IN, SO APPLE WATCHES, MACBOOKS, ALL THOSE THINGS, POPULAR RIGHT NOW. DRONES ARE REALLY POPULAR. AND OF COURSE, GAMING. WE'VE GOT "FIFA 23" MAYBE WITH THE WORLD CUP OUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S TOP OF MIND. SO, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE POPULAR. IN TERMS OF TRENDS, WE'RE NOT SEEING IMPULSE BUYING. PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING OUT THERE AND SPLURGING. THEY'RE BEING REALLY STRATEGIC WITH THEIR PURCHASES. ALSO, FLEXIBLE SPENDING PAYMENTS, REALLY POPULAR. BUY NOW, PAY LATER. THOSE PAYMENTS ARE UP 78% IN JUST THE PAST WEEK. AND IF YOU'RE BUYING ONLINE, YOU'RE DOING IT ON YOUR CELL PHONE. ONLINE ORDERS, 48% OF THEM WERE DONE ON A SMARTPHONE. >> WOW. >> I CAN'T DO IT. I PREFER TO SEE IT ON MY LAPTOP, MY COMPUTER. >> WE'RE OLDER. I'M THE SAME WAY. I KNOW YOU LIKE YOUR LAPTOP. ALL RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR DISCOUNTS, FOR SURE, WITH THE ECONOMY THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW. SO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE MOST DISCOUNTED, AND THEN THE BIG QUESTION, IS IT BETTER -- ARE THE DISCOUNTS GOING TO BE BEST TODAY OR ARE YOU GOING TO SAVE MORE IF YOU WAIT? >> THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. DO I WAIT FOR THE BIG DEAL? IN TERMS OF WHAT'S ON SALE, COMPUTERS, BIG MARKDOWNS THERE. ELECTRONICS, CLOTHING. I SAW 60% OFF AT THE MALL THIS PAST WEEK, BUY ONE, GET TWO FREE. I HAD TO LOOK AT THAT SIGN A COUPLE TIMES. >> WHAT WAS THAT? >> T-SHIRTS. I WAS OUT WITH MY DAUGHTER, SO GRAPHIC TEES, YOU KNOW? YEAH, SO, THE QUESTION IS, ALSO, OUTDOOR-TYPE STUFF THAT WE COULDN'T GET DURING THE PANDEMIC, LIKE FIRE PITS. REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE ALL THE RAGE? BIG, STEEP DISCOUNTS THERE AS WELL. SHOULD YOU WAIT FOR THE DISCOUNTS? LOOK, RETAILERS HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH A LOT OF UNSOLD MERCHANDISE, BECAUSE THEY OVERBOUGHT DURING THE PANDEMIC. SO, THESE BIG DISCOUNTS HAVE BEEN GOING ON WELL BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY. WE SAW THIS HAPPENING IN OCTOBER. SO, THE DEAL IS, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT, IT'S GOING TO BE IN HIGH DEMAND, AND THE PRICE POINT IS WHERE YOU NEED IT TO BE, DO IT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK NOT HAVING THAT ITEM IN STOCK. >> AND THIS IS ALSO ALWAYS THE PRIMETIME FOR SCAMS OUT THERE. JUST A REMINDER, FOLKS, WHAT THEY NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR. >> 'TIS THE SEASON TO STEAL OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. THEY DON'T TAKE A HOLIDAY. WE NEED TO STAY VIGILANT, AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GOLD MINE FOR THESE SCAMMERS. YOU WANT TO BE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF A SOCIAL MEDIA OR EMAIL ADVERTISEMENTS PROMISING BIG DISCOUNTS, PROMISING LOW SHIPPING. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LEGITIMATE RETAILER. CHECK THE CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON THAT. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR MISSPELLINGS OR POOR GRAMMAR IN THE WEBSITE ADDRESS. THAT'S A SIGN THAT IT'S A FAKE. THIS YEAR, TOO, WE'RE ALSO SEEING THESE FAKESTERES COME OUT WITH EMAILS TELLING YOU, YOUR CREDIT CARD TRANSACTION HAS FAILED, NOW WE WANT YOU TO PAY US VIA VENMO OR PAYPAL. GO DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR. SOMETHING TO BE SMART ABOUT, WHEN THEY SAY, DO YOU WANT TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT OR CHECK OUT AS A GUEST? TRY TO CHECK OUT AS A GUEST WHENEVER POSSIBLE. WHEN YOU CREATE AN ACCOUNT, YOU'RE KEEPING PERSONAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING YOUR CREDIT CARD, ON THEIR SERVERS. IF THEY GET HACKED, YOU CAN COMPROMISE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. ALSO, TRY TO PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD VERSUS A DEBIT CARD. CREDIT CARD OFFERS MORE FRAUD PROTECTION, AND THE OLD ADAGE. IF THE DEAL SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. >> ABC NEWS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. >> MY PLEASURE. >> YOU'RE SUCH A FRIEND. YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH FOR US HERE ON "GMA3." GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN