ATLANTA (WJBF) – As the holiday shopping season swings into high gear, Americans are poised to spend over $14 billion on Cyber Monday. This forecast, provided by Adobe Analytics, indicates a 6% increase compared to last year’s sales figures, marking Cyber Monday as one of the most significant shopping events of the year.

In response to this surge in online shopping, Amazon has ramped up its workforce by hiring 6,000 seasonal employees in Georgia. This initiative is part of the company’s extensive national strategy to meet the holiday demand. Across Georgia and South Carolina, Amazon operates 34 facilities and employs approximately 40,000 individuals, showcasing the company’s substantial regional presence.

“We’ve rolled out a variety of deals, including lightning deals that update every five minutes,” explained Daniel Martin, an Amazon spokesperson. “These discounts are set to continue until midnight tonight, ensuring our customers have plenty of opportunities to find great bargains.”

The company currently operates 34 facilities in Georgia and eight in South Carolina, employing about 40,000 workers across the two states.

“We have had a host of deals, including lightning deals that drop every five minutes, and those discounts will continue all the way until midnight tonight,” said Daniel Martin, an Amazon spokesperson.

Amazon said some of the most popular items this year include:

• JBL speakers
• Wicked movie figurines and toys
• Lego kits
• Stanley water bottles
• Amazon devices like the Echo and Echo Show

“This year, Wicked has just come out, and that’s a big driver,” Martin said. “We’re offering up to 30% off Wicked toys, up to 30% off Legos, and up to 50% off electronics and Amazon devices.”

Adobe’s projections show shoppers are spending $16 million online every minute during this year’s Cyber Monday surge, making it one of the largest digital shopping days on record.

With a spike in online activity, Amazon is also urging shoppers to stay alert to fake deals, suspicious links, and scam websites.

“No matter what, always verify through the Amazon app or through Amazon.com,” Martin said. “If you see a discount code or an item elsewhere, double-check it directly. Trust but verify.”

Researchers said the busiest online shopping period for Cyber Monday will be Monday night between 8 p.m.-10 p.m., when many retailers roll out final-hour markdowns.

Amazon said it has invested $23 billion in Georgia since 2010, and independent Amazon sellers shipped 76 million units last year alone.

The term “Cyber Monday” was coined by the National Retail Federation in 2005 and has since grown into one of the biggest online shopping events in the world.