Cyber Monday 2011 Sales Up 33 Percent From 2010
Cyber Monday sales increased by 33 percent this year over last, with the average order value also increasing by 2.6 percent, according to a recent report from IBM Smarter Commerce.
In addition, the report showed that Apple devices such as the iPhone and the iPad were the top gadgets used to snag Cyber Monday deals, accounting for 4.1 and 3.3 percent of mobile device retail traffic respectively.
"Cyber Monday was once again the big winner for the Thanksgiving holiday shopping season, with a record number of consumers focused on finding the best online deals," John Squire, the chief strategy officer of IBM Smarter Commerce, said in a statement. "Retailers that adopted a smarter approach to commerce, one that allowed them to swiftly adjust to the shifting shopping habits of their customers, whether in-store, online or via their mobile device, were able to fully benefit from this day and the entire holiday weekend."
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One of the major factors that may have contributed to the increase in sales this Cyber Monday was increased discussion on social media websites.
According to IBM's report, discussions leading up to Cyber Monday increased in volume by 115 percent over last year, with top areas of discussion focusing "on consumers sharing tips about using price comparison websites while avoiding cyber scams, Cyber Monday deals for international consumers and conversations about Black Friday in-store shopping experiences."
Facebook accounted for the largest percentage of all social media traffic at 86 percent.
Black Friday sales also showed a significant increase this year, with a report from ShopperTrak stating sales increased by 7 percent and that $11.4 billion was spent in retail purchases, the largest amount ever spent during the day.
"Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year and the traditional start to the holiday shopping season," ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin said in a statement. "Despite our sluggish economy, shoppers proved they are looking for value and ready to buy if given a good customer experience. This is the largest year-over-year gain in ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate for Black Friday since the 8.3 percent increase we saw between 2007 and 2006. Still, it’s just one day. It remains to be seen whether consumers will sustain this behavior through the holiday shopping season."
