This year, Black Friday saw a large increase in e-commerce purchases at 26 percent greater than last year. Last year, sales were at $648 million where this Black Friday jumped to $816 million in sales. Overall, this November has been great for online sales as many have decided to skip the chaos that comes with midnight shopping at the local retail stores. The next big day is called Cyber Monday, a day when online retailers bring out their big promotions and deals.
I figured it would be only a matter of time until we saw this occurence. There will still be the large number of people who participate in the late night shopping on Black Friday, but as we can see, many have decided to skip the whole even and purchase from the convenience of their own homes. I for one have never participated in Black Friday and when the time comes, I believe I will be one of the millions that does my shopping at home.
This article is very intersting, however, i think it would be just as interesting to look at the statistics of "cybermonday" when many stores are attempting surplus and what not.
ReplyDeleteThe increase in online sales might in part be due to the economic recovery but i personally believe another force is at work. Traditional sit down and shop online at your home computer is a feature of the past. The smartphone has recently been marketed as a tool to search and buy online products, specifically eBay and Apple. Amazon has been "suggesting" books for years. Online shopping offers features like price comparison and ability to change stores that are both time consuming events in the real world.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't surprise me. According to some news and bbs I read, the cyber Monday actually now attracts more people than Black Friday. People are prefering easily clicking mouse rather than driving in dark to the crowded mall. The convenience and some ONLINE ONLY deals have made consumers stay at home. Actually, as we know the cyber Monday seems be extended to a cyber week. Many websites and brands are still on sale.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is good that sales increased by 26% from the same day last year, this is not necessarily all caused by an improvement in the economy. More and more people are turning to on-line shopping as an alternative to normal shopping because frequently it is more convenient. Instead of going out to a store at midnight or 4 AM, it is much easier to stay at home and shop on-line. While the increase is a good sign, it is not as good as it looks.
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