According to Moneris, Canadian shoppers spent $2 billion on Cyber Monday last year and that amount is expected to be higher this year as online shopping increases in popularity.
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“I personally skip Black Friday just to shop Cyber Monday”, said Mark Flores, a parks and recreation director from Lynwood, California. And although the number of in-store shoppers are still huge, the data from National Retail Federation shows that the numbers are an encouraging sign for online retailers.
She also said, she expects more people will be back in stores in December, when crowds are less daunting than during Black Friday weekend.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales were down and much of that was blamed on online shopping. “It is clear that the age-old holiday tradition of heading out to stores with family and friends is now equally matched in the new tradition of looking online for holiday savings opportunities”.
Most pointing, clicking, and spending their money analysts say – on electronics – a category that could account for as much as 75-percent of today’s online sales.
A survey, commissioned by FedEx Express Canada, found that Canadians plan to do nearly half of their holiday shopping online this year.
Retailers have been touting online deals since the beginning of November.
The name “Cyber Monday” was coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation’s online arm, called Shop.org, to encourage people to shop online.
Thanks to the burst of early discounts and long promotional deals, this year the holiday season seems to be in its digital avatar.
The industry group’s poll this year uses different methodology than last year, and it did not estimate total sales for the four-day weekend.
“Target got a head start going into Black Friday with the record-breaking launch of Adele’s new album and our “10 Days of Deals” promotion”, stated Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO Target.
Wal-Mart began its Cyber Monday sales at 8 p.m. Sunday, and is extending the offers all week. A year ago, the nation’s largest retailer only offered a sneak peak of about 20 deals on the evening before Cyber Monday.
Target’s Cyber Monday sale will run for one day, but it will continue to offer department-wide deals throughout the week, as well as free shipping and returns throughout the holiday season.
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55 percent of shoppers on smartphones were online while at home, 36 percent were on the go and 9 percent were at the mall shopping.
