Cyber Monday 2015: Will E-Commerce Totals Break Last Year's Record? [VIDEO]
Black Friday and Thanksgiving day in-store sales totals for 2015 were not as successful as the numbers pulled in the year before. Brick-and-mortar retail sales totals declined while online sales saw a spike in consumers. This trend could mean that Cyber Monday 2015 could surpass last year's record-breaking online totals as more people turn to online stores for their holiday gift list necessities. As Time reports, what attributes to this is that most people were less inclined to deal with huge crowds. Checking out any Black Friday aftermath video post on YouTube or World Star will convince anyone that overzealous shoppers seeking out in-store deals can be a dangerous mix. Rather than deal with long lines and potential hazards, taking care of your holiday gift list online can be a less stressful, safer alternative.
According to the retail researcher ShopperTrak, Black Friday 2015 in-store sales totals fell, totaling $10.4 billion in comparison to $11.6 billion in 2014, a $1.2 million difference. An analysis of Thanksgiving Day sales shows that the totals fell from slightly over $2 billion in 2014 to $1.8 billion this year. Smarter shopping habits as well as controversial retailer strategies also attributes to less people going into the stores.
"Fewer visits on both days reinforce the trend we've seen throughout the year, in which shoppers are researching products ahead of time, targeting their store visits, and arriving in-store with the intention of making a purchase. The decrease in shopper visits on Thanksgiving Day also lends itself to the social backlash against store openings on the holiday," Kevin Kearns, chief revenue officer at ShopperTrak, said in a press release.
Online sales were higher than Black Friday 2014 and saw a 14 percent jump, racking up a $2.72 billion in sales. Cyber Monday, Nov. 30 is already being forecast to be the biggest sales day of the year for e-commerce. There's a good chance it may not only beat recent Black Friday and Thanksgiving online totals, but also last year's Cyber Monday $2.04 billion in sales. Huge retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart are offering big savings to kick-off Cyber Week and shoppers are gobbling it all up which may lead to the biggest e-commerce day ever!
