Cyber Monday follows Black Friday as shoppers kick off the holiday shopping season. Typically Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has been the biggest shopping day of the year. However, Cyber Monday, (which will fall on November 30 this year) appeals to online shoppers who seek out great deals without leaving their home.
Cyber Monday is a day that many online retailers offer some of the best deals when you can get additional savings for your holiday shopping. Some shoppers do the majority of their Christmas shopping on Cyber Monday and savvy retailers use voucher codes to lure shoppers in. Of then this results in undercutting not only traditional retail, but other online sellers as well.
Cyber Monday has evolved into a significant marketing event, sponsored by the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org division. Many retailers will be putting forth a valiant effort this season to lure shoppers to their sites. In light of the poor economy, many retailers are going to have to pull out all the stops to get business.
According to a report on the Yahoo Blog: The Yahoo! Network Insights team examined over 2.6 billion ad impressions of retail advertising clients delivered across the Yahoo! Network during the month of November 2008, as well as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Click-through rates, sales conversions and online retail traffic were compared to determine how online advertising performed on the most critical shopping days of the year.
Bottom line? Online or offline, retailers are going to have to work hard for their money this holiday season.
How does Cyber Monday measure up to the more traditional Black Friday? Many shoppers have made this a ritual, waking up before the sun rises and heading out to big retailers to grab a deal that will only last a few hours -- or until the inventory runs out. There have been reports of people trampled to get a discounted product and in 2008, a Walmart store employee was killed by anxious shoppers who trampled him to death.
It most likely comes down to personal preference. Shoppers that need to look at the product and are not secure with online shopping will likely continue to go the route of bargain hunting on Black Friday. More tech savvy shoppers or those who don't want to wait in long lines will opt for a quiet shopping day at home on November 30, Cyber Monday.
Cheryl Phillips
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
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