ideaman2007's Blog

From Red to Black; Black Friday & Cyber Monday Bring Businesses Back; Are You Ready for the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year?   by Jaime L. Smith

Retailers, shopaholics, and Web surfers unite every year for their trip to mecca: the paradise that awaits is a celebration known as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The days commence the frenzy of online and offline shopping that will shift businesses profitability through to Christmas.

Historically the two busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall on the Thursday after Thanksgiving and the following Monday, respectively. These two days pack the most punch into retailers' pockets around the globe, and put the biggest bang for the buck into shoppers' bags.

Black Friday became known as such because it's the day brick-and-mortar retailers often go from being unprofitable or "in the red," to back in the black. Cyber Monday, a technical spillover of Black Friday was named more recently in the 21st century when it was discovered that many hungry virtual shoppers skipped the malls and shopped in the comfort of their own cozy offices, bringing online businesses back to black. In addition, many holiday revelers return to work o n Monday but are inclined to take an extended vacation by shopping online on company time.

A pivotal weekend for e-commerce sites, in recent years Black Friday and Cyber Monday have earned the title of the biggest online spending days in the year. Some will say that Cyber Monday isn't as profitable as Black Friday, and some will say Black Friday should be called Green Friday; but the proof is in the pennies of virtual cash registers.

Indeed, in 2006 Cyber Monday became the biggest online shopping day on record according to comScore Networks, an e-commerce tracking firm. Cyber-happy shoppers spent $485 million on Cyber Monday in 2006. Likewise, comScore Networks also reports that Black Friday profits last year reached a close $430 million.

In another online market, e-card season is about to flourish, too. As holiday revelers gear up, American Greetings offers a convenient reminder service for sending out Christmas e-cards. Users can set up the service and schedule delivery dates. By tackling this task during other Cyber Monday activities, users can take multi-tasking and organization to a whole new level.

Online retailers generally endorse this crucial shopping season with special promotions that add to the shoppers' anticipation. Online and offline shoppers can expect awesome price discounts, free shipping, "doorbuster" sales and incentive prizes. Adding to the anticipation, most retailers don't announce their specials until special Black Friday ads circulate in the Thanksgiving Day newspapers and mail lists online.

Retail trends show that most people are as dedicated to the onslaught of holiday shopping as they are to the actual holiday of Thanksgiving. The potential for increased revenue, brand awareness and holiday sales profitability is endless. Driving the boost in profits in 2007, at least 40% of adults are reporting they plan to do all of their holiday shopping online this year. According to ForeSee Results, an online customer satisfaction and measurement company, online retailers can do two things to guarantee success this cyber-season:

1. Be sure to manage and meet customer expectations. Follow through with online-only discounts and free or discount shopping options. ForeSee's 2006 studies showed that customers were disappointed last year because they didn't get the free shipping or price discounts they expected. Research also showed that transactional costs, not product costs are the actual source of dissatisfaction.

2. Be aware of the impact your website has on multichannel operations, i.e. understand the impact that your website has on brand and overall profitability during not only the holiday shopping season, but also on overall sales.

As such, the potential for amazing savings and budget shopping are also overwhelming on this special weekend. Shoppers everywhere - be prepared:

For Black Friday:

1. Eat plenty of carbs on Thanksgiving. Tryptophan will slow you down on the big day, so pass on the turkey and get a second helping of mashed potatoes.

2. Pack a lunch. Efficiency is the key. If you need to stop to eat, you may miss out on that hot item that your loved one is dying for.

3. Call for reinforcement. Send an American Greetings e-card invitation to all your friends to meet up together. Then, dole out your shopping lists together for a "divide and conquer" strategy.

4. Get a good night's sleep. If you want to take advantage of the "early bird" deals, then you'll need to wake up at the crack of dawn and hit the stores.

5. Make sure you have a full tank of gas. To find the best deals, you may have to drive from store to store and you won't want to waste precious moments filling up.

For Cyber Monday:

1. Build hand strength. Get those fingers in shape for the multiple click-thrus, filling out of forms, and shopping comparison you will be undertaking. Do some strength training and schedule a massage for the following day.

2. Get your list down now. Preferably, this should be in Word format so you can click back and forth between views to get everything accomplished.

3. Bookmark all your shopping sites now. The less surfing, the less time wasted. Do the research today to save you some time on Cyber Monday. While you're online, note the animated Christmas e-cards you want to send to friends this season.

4. If you have to work on Monday, then pack a lunch and use your lunch hour to start shopping.

5. Use a designated credit card for online shopping only. That way if anything questionable occurs with your account, you can track purchases back to a single card.

Do you enjoy Christmas shopping? If you do, you may go out of your way to start your Christmas shopping early. If not, you may leave your Christmas shopping to the last minute. Although last minute Christmas shopping is more than doable, did you know that when you start your Christmas shopping can have a huge impact on the selection of products you find, as well as the prices that you have to pay?

When it comes to last minute Christmas shopping, you will find some variances. This is because no two individuals are the same. For example, what you may consider to be last minute Christmas shopping can be considered early Christmas shopping by someone else. Typically, you will find that the phrase last minute Christmas shopping is used to describe shopping in the two or three days before Christmas.

Also mentioned above, was how when you do your Christmas shopping may have an impact on the prices that you find. While you will find some last minute Christmas sales and discounts, there are no guarantees. Often times, the best holiday sales occur on Black Friday or the weeks directly fallowing Thanksgiving. What you will find available for sale at the last minute, most of the time, is Christmas themed merchandise. These items can also make great gifts if you do not have any other options.

As previously stated, when you start your Christmas shopping may have a huge impact on the selection of products you find. It is important to remember that many retailers often receive a limited selection of merchandise. This is most often the case during the holiday shopping season and with popular merchandise, like the latest toys or media items to hit store shelves. If you are looking to purchase particular items to give as Christmas gifts, it may be a good idea to refrain from waiting until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping.

As outlined above, there are a number of cons or downsides to last minute Christmas shopping. That is why you may want to avoid it, if at all possible. If you find yourself pressed for time, you will want to take a close look at your local retailers. You will find that many have extended hours in the weeks leading up to Christmas. These extended Christmas shopping hours may make it easier for you to get your Christmas shopping done in a timely manner.