Cyber Monday was up 30% compared to last year, powered mostly by smart phones and tablets. Not only was Cyber Monday a big shopping day this year, but according to IBM it was the biggest day of online shopping ever. Almost 20% of consumers browsed their way through deals on their mobile devices and 13% actually clicked through to buy on their tablets or phones.
Early promotions helped online retailers cash in this year and IBM research says more people shopped around lunchtime on Monday than any other time of the year. Online shopping has established itself as a major part of total shopping for the holidays and every other time of year. If consumers are sending a message that retailers should take to heart it is convenience. Being able to shop from wherever they are is clearly appealing to consumers. It has long been known that when you make the buying experience easier people tend to buy more, but this year’s volume of online buying may just show retailers a new way of doing business.
Consumers want the same thing during the holidays they want all year, and that is deals. Getting a better price is always at the forefront of shoppers minds and the days of sale flyers and event specific promotions are gone.
Shopping is influenced by many factors, but this year the enthusiasm shoppers are showing is a great indicator of things to come. In spite of potential financial concerns, Americans are voting with their dollars sending a clear message they are ready to put their money where their mouth is. The fact that technology has made it easier to browse and pull the trigger on a purchase will eventually be seen as a matter of fact, much as we have come to accept cell phones as an integral part of our lives.
If Americans continue to use technology to enhance their shopping experience, retailers will continue to see more dollars come into their coffers around historically traditional times. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been times when Americans parted with dollars they save up over the course of the year. Some traditions are not at the mercy of the daily grind and many people have lowered the amount they spend over the holidays. All that said, most American consumers have added to the holiday shopping tally.
Whether it’s Apple or Android getting the nod for shoppers’ dollars as they research their purchase before they buy blindly, smart phones are here to stay. As they gain functionality and capacity they will continue to garner a bigger and bigger portion of shoppers’ dollars. The days of phones just being devicese that worked to take incoming calls are long gone. Consumers will increasingly be doing their homework on their phones and tablets as connections become a non issue.
The figures for the holidays show clearly that Americans are not afraid to part with their money when they see value. That is a message every retailer should take to heart.