Over the past few years we’ve heard about the after Thanksgiving sales more and more in the news, and not just because of the amazing prices. It has become quite the controversy on what time retailers should be opening after the holidays in order to allow their employees to enjoy their own holiday away from work. The massive crowds showing up for the sales have also become a bit of an issue and have resulted in people getting hurt and even trampled for trying to get their hands on the hot ticket items. While this years Black Friday is on track to do just as well in years past, one holiday sale that is continuing to grow is Cyber Monday.
Ten years ago was when we first started to notice that sales started online the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the phrase “Cyber Monday” was coined. With more devices now, than ever, we have access to shop on computers, smartphones, and tablets. The NRF looked back in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and found the difference of what cybermonday.com looked like in 2006 and in 2015.
Pretty big improvement, right?
You might have noticed a few weeks ago that retailers were already sending emails to promote holiday sales and deals. This year over 900 retailers will be offering CyberMonday.com deals all season long and it is expected that Cyber Monday will generate an expected $ 105 billion for online sales this holiday season.
One of the main contributing factors to Cyber Monday’s success is from the influence of mobile. In this year’s NRF holiday consumer survey, they found that a record number of shoppers plan to browse and purchase items online and on mobile. It’s no surprise that consumers would prefer to hit the “purchase” button from the comfort of their own home than go out and face all of the crowds and lines in stores.
Social media has also jumped in to help with online and mobile sales this holiday shopping season. Pinterest and Twitter are now working to drive more ecommerce sales. And as you might have noticed in your Instagram feed, more and more retailers are using Instagram’s ads and Like2Buy profile links. It will be interesting to see what Snapchat does with their geofilters for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I’m sure they will help to add a fun element to sharing consumer’s in-store shopping experiences.
The growth of Cyber Monday is just another way that we are seeing retailers expand to provide their shoppers with a true omnichannel experience. Mobile and social engagement have played a huge factor in changing the ways we shop during the holiday season, and in general. With the holiday season just getting started, we are looking forward to tracking all of the retail trends this year.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Photo credit: Flicker User Jason Howie
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