There was a time when Black Friday was a name for the shopping day on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It kicked off the holiday season and gave stores a chance to "put themselves in the black." Now Black Friday is more of a season than a day. With over 70 million people around the country using the internet, it's no wonder retailer's see us as easy prey. The statistics prove it all - E-commerce transactions 2007 are estimated to be around $228 billion, growing 14 percent in 2005 from last year.
But is it a myth? According to a survey by MasterCard, only 10 percent of Americans surveyed online said they will shop on the Web on so-called Cyber Monday. Last year, the day with the highest amount of Web transactions processed was actually December 5, a week after Cyber Monday, according to the report. Still, that won't stop Web businesses from trying to make Cyber Monday an event. To entice shoppers to start early, retailers are giving special promotions and discounts for Cyber Monday on both items and shipping. It's enough to drive you insane! Every freakin' retailer is in on it and just because they offer you free shipping doesn't mean it's a great deal. About three out of four shoppers plan to shop online, and the Commerce Dept. has predicted that all sales-online and offline-will reach more than $676 billion for the November-January holiday shopping season!
Holy Crap!
And CyberMonday even has it's own website. And to entice people to buy, buy, buy, it has a "purpose." The online shopping association Shop.org has declared Monday to be CyberMonday, a day of online sales. CyberMonday.com, a new Web site affiliated with Shop.org, lists many of the deals that will be available. "Free shipping--with a minimum order size, or some retailers are offering free shipping for any size order--is the most popular promotion that merchants are rolling out. And why do it on our own time? According to Shop.org, a significant amount of that shopping is taking place at work, according to a separate survey of consumers conducted for Shop.org. The study found that young people are most likely to shop online from work. Almost three-fourths of 18- to 24-year-olds, and 66.4 percent of those 25 to 34, plan to browse or buy online while at work, the group said. That doesn't mean that young workers are necessarily goofing off on the job. No, what does it mean?
The "special purpose" on the Shop.org site is the Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund. Ray was the Vice President of Research and Member Services for Shop.org for almost seven years and also managed Shop.org's membership with a personal touch rooted in his deep respect for the members and their businesses. A diehard Boston Red Sox fan, Ray was thrilled to see his Sox win their first World Series since 1918 before losing his year-long fight with cancer in the fall of 2005. Ray's spirit lives on in our Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund, which has been established to provide financial support to students pursuing careers in the e-commerce industry. All of Shop.org's proceeds from items purchased through CyberMonday.com help support Ray's scholarship and his memory. According to Cybermonday.com Web site raised more than $107,000 during the 2006 holiday season for the fund to be used to identify and provide financial support to students interested in pursuing careers in online retail. So there you have it...shopping with a purpose. How's that for marketing?
Why deal with any of this shopping thing anyway? Most of us just get crap that we want to return anyway. Save yourself some time and do what about 54% of Americans will do this year. Get your ass from in front of the computer, go to your local supermarket and get me a gift card! Yes, every supermarket now has a huge display for every retailer out there. If you're too lazy to do that, I take Ca$h! Green is the color that goes with everything!![]()
There was a time when Black Friday was a name for the shopping day on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It kicked off the holiday season and gave stores a chance to "put themselves in the black." Now Black Friday is more of a season than a day. With over 70 million people around the country using the internet, it's no wonder retailer's see us as easy prey. The statistics prove it all - E-commerce transactions 2007 are estimated to be around $228 billion, growing 14 percent in 2005 from last year.
But is it a myth? According to a survey by MasterCard, only 10 percent of Americans surveyed online said they will shop on the Web on so-called Cyber Monday. Last year, the day with the highest amount of Web transactions processed was actually December 5, a week after Cyber Monday, according to the report. Still, that won't stop Web businesses from trying to make Cyber Monday an event. To entice shoppers to start early, retailers are giving special promotions and discounts for Cyber Monday on both items and shipping. It's enough to drive you insane! Every freakin' retailer is in on it and just because they offer you free shipping doesn't mean it's a great deal. About three out of four shoppers plan to shop online, and the Commerce Dept. has predicted that all sales-online and offline-will reach more than $676 billion for the November-January holiday shopping season! Holy Crap!
And CyberMonday even has it's own website. And to entice people to buy, buy, buy, it has a "purpose." The online shopping association Shop.org has declared Monday to be CyberMonday, a day of online sales. CyberMonday.com, a new Web site affiliated with Shop.org, lists many of the deals that will be available. "Free shipping--with a minimum order size, or some retailers are offering free shipping for any size order--is the most popular promotion that merchants are rolling out. And why do it on our own time? According to Shop.org, a significant amount of that shopping is taking place at work, according to a separate survey of consumers conducted for Shop.org. The study found that young people are most likely to shop online from work. Almost three-fourths of 18- to 24-year-olds, and 66.4 percent of those 25 to 34, plan to browse or buy online while at work, the group said. That doesn't mean that young workers are necessarily goofing off on the job. No, what does it mean?
The "special purpose" on the Shop.org site is the Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund. Ray was the Vice President of Research and Member Services for Shop.org for almost seven years and also managed Shop.org's membership with a personal touch rooted in his deep respect for the members and their businesses. A diehard Boston Red Sox fan, Ray was thrilled to see his Sox win their first World Series since 1918 before losing his year-long fight with cancer in the fall of 2005. Ray's spirit lives on in our Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund, which has been established to provide financial support to students pursuing careers in the e-commerce industry. All of Shop.org's proceeds from items purchased through CyberMonday.com help support Ray's scholarship and his memory. According to Cybermonday.com Web site raised more than $107,000 during the 2006 holiday season for the fund to be used to identify and provide financial support to students interested in pursuing careers in online retail. So there you have it...shopping with a purpose. How's that for marketing?
Why deal with any of this shopping thing anyway? Most of us just get crap that we want to return anyway. Save yourself some time and do what about 54% of Americans will do this year. Get your ass from in front of the computer, go to your local supermarket and get me a gift card! Yes, every supermarket now has a huge display for every retailer out there. If you're too lazy to do that, I take Ca$h! Green is the color that goes with everything!
