Black Friday Sales Results Pose Stiff Competition for Cyber Monday Deals
Retailers anticipating Black Friday pulled out all the stops to compete with this Monday's "Cyber Monday," and statistics show their hard work paid off.
Online buyers spent 20 percent more this Black Friday than last year, and on Thanksgiving Day, sales jumped 39 percent compared to last year, according to IBM Corp.'s research unit Coremetrics.
In order to compete with the Cyber Monday, stores like Target and Best Buy were opening their doors at midnight on Black Friday to satiate the demands of hungry customers. Similarly, many companies offered online deals and free shipping for Black Friday shoppers to up their online traffic.
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As indicated by the statistics, many chose to participate in the deals on Black Friday from the comfort of their own computer. This may have been the wisest decision, especially after multiple reports of violence in the aisles surfaced on Friday.
In the Los Angeles area, 20 people were reportedly injured after an overzealous customer sprayed them with pepper spray to get a leg up on Walmart sales.
Now with Black Friday over, deal-stalkers look to Cyber Monday for their next fix. Eight out of 10 online retailers will offer Cyber Monday deals, according to Shop.org's eHoliday survey.
CNN refers to the online shopping day phenomenon as "couch commerce," meaning shoppers seek to find the best deals in the most comfortable way possible: from their cozy couch.
While Black Friday voyagers risk getting trampled, punched or pepper sprayed, Cyber Monday shoppers run the risk of getting heavily scammed via faux websites requesting credit card information.
With the advancement of computer hacking, experts are suggesting shoppers protect all of their technological outlets, not just their computers.
"Most people don't think twice about getting [protection] on their computer these days. Get it on your smart phone and tablet as well," said Jennifer Jolly of CBS's "The Early Show."
Retailers traditionally offer huge promotions on Black Friday to jumpstart holiday revenue and reach the year’s remaining quotas. Cyber Monday does the same thing for retailers on the Web.
