Cyber Monday Deals & Black Friday Sales - Black Friday 2016 Black Friday 2016 Deal Alerts × Check Your Email Now. Verify Your Email to receive Today's Best Deals! Check your other inbox just in case! :) You have been unsubscribed from future email notifications. Advertisement Get Black Friday Deal Alerts! Get BF Deal Alerts Cyber Monday Deals & Black Friday Sales 6 years ago Cyber Monday is the first Monday after ‘Black Friday’. Historically ‘Black Friday’, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is one of the top-3 shopping days of the year. This is because retail stores offers outstanding doorbuster deals on this day. Fortunately for shoppers who don’t find what they want on Black Friday, retailers have turned it into a weekend long event finishing off with hot online sales on the following Monday, which has become known as Cyber Monday. Black Friday is traditionally the day when basically all retailers see profits for the year. In part this is because the traditional first quarter for companies begins in August or September. Because of this, Christmas season sales typically offset annual expenses and result in profits. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become one of the biggest Christmas shopping days and these sales put companies ‘in the black’ which means profitable months and quarters.

The term Cyber Monday was coined after the 2004 holiday shopping season. On the heels of weaker than normal Black Friday sales, shoppers seemed to take advantage of high-speed Internet connections at work and place orders for items they could not find at a price they liked in stores. Since 2005 this term, Cyber Monday has referred to the Monday immediately following Black Friday. This has not consistently been as large a sales day for online retailers as Black Friday has been for brick and mortar stores, however online stores have made use of the date to introduce numerous sales the same way traditional retailers have on Black Friday and so Cyber Monday continues to gain in popularity. The Black Friday/ Cyber Monday shopping season has been proven to so successful for both online and offline retailers that its changed the dynamics of the whole Christmas gifts shopping season. While high volume Internet sales days have varied between early and late December, November is definitely a month more and more companies are paying attention to. Regardless of what day or month online shoppers conduct the most sales on/in, one thing is clear, Cyber Monday is here to stay for some time, which translate to more great deals and sales for everyone!

Join the conversation online using #blackfridaydotcom Shoppers ditch Black Friday as sales expand Shoppers ditch Black Friday as sales expand Most people won't shop on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday, according to Bankrate.com. Post to Facebook Shoppers ditch Black Friday as sales expand Most people won't shop on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday, according to Bankrate.com. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 5 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Shoppers ditch Black Friday as sales expand Hadley Malcolm , USA TODAY Published 11:08 a.m. ET Nov. 19, 2014 | Updated 6:36 p.m. ET Nov. 19, 2014 Shoppers wait outside Target in Lisbon, Conn., before the store opens for Black Friday at midnight in 2011. (Photo: File photo by Sean D.

Elliot, AP) With major retailers expanding Black Friday sales throughout the month of November, most shoppers won't head to stores the day after Thanksgiving, according to a Bankrate.com survey out Wednesday. Just 28% of shoppers plan to hit stores on Black Friday next week, though 40% of those surveyed plan to shop when you include online shopping, Bankrate found in its survey of 1,000 adults. Most of the big retailers plan to open on Thanksgiving, a trend that's grown in popularity in recent years and has pushed shopping earlier in the week. This year, in particular, retailers are spreading major discounts on top products throughout the season. Walmart, Target, Amazon and Toys R Us are all among retailers that have already been pushing pre-Black Friday sales. Black Friday doesn't have the best deals More deals over a longer period of time tarnishes Black Friday's appeal, leading to "general indifference at some point because it seems like it's just going to stretch on," says Ravi Dhar, a professor at Yale School of Management who specializes in consumer behavior.

"That excitement gets lost when you tell people it's going to be there for a long period of time." It's the combination of early sales and a desire to avoid the crowds that's pushing shoppers to plan around Black Friday, rather than for it, says Jeanine Skowronski, Bankrate.com analyst. "Black Friday has gotten a bit of a bad rep over the past couple of years that's driving more casual shoppers away," she says, referring to stories of huge crowds and fights between shoppers. "They also know they can get deals pretty much right up until Christmas." Those who do still plan to shop are motivated more by the social atmosphere Black Friday fosters, Skowronski says. Millennials are more likely than older adults to shop in stores on Black Friday, Bankrate found, likely because they see it as an excuse to spend time with family and friends, particularly Millennials home from college, Skowronski says. Black Friday has also become part of a ritual for some people, even if it's become less important as a day to get great deals, Dhar says. "You do it because it's habitual, as opposed to necessarily the way you still shop," he says.

Even fewer people plan to shop on Cyber Monday, with just a quarter planning to make a purchase, the survey finds. Shoppers will also spend less, at an average of $361, compared with an average of $399 on Black Friday. Still, online shopping is expected to dominate Thanksgiving weekend. The Consumer Electronics Association expects 6 million more people to shop online between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year compared with last year, for a record 103 million online shoppers, according to a report out Wednesday. Three-quarters of consumers will use a mobile device while shopping, CEA finds. How Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday - ABC News ABC News How Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday Nov 29, 2014, 6:24 AM ET via GOOD MORNING AMERICA , WORLD NEWS Besides the obvious difference of shopping in the comfort of your home, Cyber Monday differs from Black Friday as a key bargain-hunting day in significant ways. Traditionally, Cyber Monday emphasized deals on electronic goods, but these days it has turned into a mammoth Cyber Week event, with online sales on clothes, books and more. Here are some major differences between Cyber Monday 2014, which falls on Dec.

1 this year, and Black Friday: 1. More People Buy Later in the Day Maybe America's worker bees can't sneak in time to shop online during Cyber Monday. Last year, Cyber Monday online sales peaked between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, with sales that hour totaling $150 million, according to Adobe Digital Index Market Research. On Black Friday last year, online shopping sales peaked from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., bringing in the same $150 million for retailers. 2. Shoppers Do More Research According to an AOL survey, 83 percent of Cyber Monday shoppers reported researching online before shopping, compared with 64 percent of Black Friday shoppers. 3. Fewer Ads While retailers notify shoppers and the media of their Black Friday deals days or sometimes weeks in advance, there is less notice on Cyber Monday deals. "Retailers want to tempt you with as many deals as possible, without discouraging early shopping," writes Josie Rubio of DealNews . 4. People May Spend More The average shopper spends $468 on Cyber Monday, compared with $309 on Black Friday, according to an AOL survey. 5.

Slightly More People May Shop, With Gender Differences According to a Nielsen study , 52 percent of all survey respondents said they plan to shop on Black Friday this year, with men slightly more enthusiastic than women: 53 percent of men said they plan to shop in-store, compared with 50 percent of women. The 1,150 respondents were 18 years and older. Slightly more shoppers (55 percent) plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year than Black Friday. But women will be more active on Cyber Monday: 60 percent of women plan to shop Cyber Monday versus 50 percent of men.

After Black Friday madness, get ready for Cyber Monday | Daily Mail Online After Black Friday madness, get ready for Cyber Monday as experts predict £650m will be spent online in 24 hours Experts predict Cyber Monday could see more sales than Black Friday Shoppers stormed stores on Friday, with police called in to stop fights Around £650m is expected to be spent online by 6m people tomorrow Amazon recorded 64 sales a second which could increase on Monday It has employed 13,000 extra staff to deal with the pre-Christmas rush Staff expect Cyber Monday sales could outstrip Black Friday records Cyber Monday 2014 - What and When is Cyber Monday? The Increasing Popularity of Cyber Monday, Online Shopping & Ecommerce Shopify is everything you need to sell anywhere. Start your free 14-day trial today! Email Get started Black Friday This one you've probably heard of before... it's the day after American Thanksgiving. It marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Many brick-and-mortar stores open up early and offer wild deals that are similar to, or even bigger than "Boxing Day" sales which you may be familiar with.

The left side of the cartoon accurately depicts the chaos often found in stores on Black Friday. Cyber Monday This is the Monday immediately following Black Friday. Cyber Monday works on the same principle as Black Friday, except that it occurs online only. See the right side of the cartoon above? That's Cyber Monday. Ecommerce stores ( like most of the stores on Shopify ) offer amazing deals that customers can take advantage of in the comfort of their own home. In 2005, Shop.org coined the term “Cyber Monday” after analyzing increased Internet traffic and sales on the first day that most people return to work after the holiday weekend. Since its inception, online consumers have started to spread the word about Cyber Monday. Between 2006 and 2011, online sales doubled to over 1.2 billion dollars on Cyber Monday. The success of Cyber Monday has made itself known all around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and all over Europe. Many online retailers have taken advantage of this upsurge in consumer spending by offering discounts, incentives, savings options, and free shipping. Shop.org originally coined “Cyber Monday” as a marketing term to promote business on an already busy day.

Online retail stores have not limited their sales and discounts only for Cyber Monday; however, they certainly have started to capitalize on its popularity by marketing early in the season. While Cyber Monday offers unbeatable discounts, online retailers will still promote sales throughout the holiday season. How You Can Market Your Business for Cyber Monday As Cyber Monday quickly approaches, consider the following marketing strategies to help you capitalize on increased online shopping activity. Smartphone Advertising Optimize your online store for the mobile experience, analyze smartphone shopping trends on your website, post exclusive advertisements to communicate with the mobile market, and create an app that lets smartphone users explore the products in your store and make purchases right on the spot. By perfecting your mobile marketing strategy you’ll be able to accommodate comparison shoppers who love finding the hottest deals with the touch of a finger. Internet Presence Think of the internet as more than just a sales medium for Cyber Monday. Remember that lots of consumers look online to research the products they want to buy first, and then visit brick-and-mortar stores to make the final purchase. Use the internet as a marketing tool for both Black Friday in-store bargains and Cyber Monday online deals. Cross market to your advantage and use your retail location to promote online sales and your online store to promote in-store sales.

Email Coupons & QR Codes Promote special offers through email coupons. Generate e-newsletters with interesting, relevant and exciting content and include a Cyber Monday coupon that recipients can redeem online. Within your e-newsletters or in your brick-and-mortar location, use QR codes that let customers instantly gain access to promotional information including coupons, contests, loyalty rewards and product discounts. Social Media Marketing Deal-hungry consumers love to share their findings with friends and family. Promote your sales on Facebook and Twitter, pin to your heart’s content on Pinterest and post images of your new products on Instagram to encourage easy online sharing between your customers and their personal networks. Originality Easier said than done, but be creative. Be different. Go in a new direction. These days, a little originality goes a long way to attract customers and create a buzz around your brand. Take a daring step and put an imaginative spin on your Cyber Monday marketing campaign. Deliver Value Even though at its core Cyber Monday is about ringing in big sales numbers, don’t forget the value add for your customers. Make your marketing about more than just discounts and promotions. Provide practical and educational information that speaks to your target audience and builds brand loyalty.

Shopify and Cyber Monday When you have an ecommerce platform like Shopify behind you, any sales channel is fair game. Shopify gives you countless tools to help you facilitate online , in-store and mobile sales. So as you build your Cyber Monday marketing campaign, turn to Shopify for the support you need be it secure hosting to accommodate increased traffic, a new app to communicate promotions or online reporting to analyze results when it’s all said and done. Follow these links to learn more about Cyber Monday: Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared with last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday. Post to Facebook Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared with last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

17 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday Hadley Malcolm , USA TODAY Published 4:50 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2014 | Updated 11:35 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2014 CLOSE x Share The deals may be better than ever this shopping holiday, but shoppers are less inclined to chase them. USA TODAY's Desair Brown examines this new trend. (USA NOW, USA TODAY) Fewer people are expected to shop online for Cyber Monday compared to 2013, according to National Retail Federation. (Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images) Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared with last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation expects about 127 million people to shop online Monday, down from about 131 million who planned to shop online last year on Cyber Monday.

NRF CEO Matthew Shay attributes the shift in shopping patterns to the fact that some consumers may feel better about the economy and are less frantic about chasing deals, combined with shoppers recognizing they can get online deals all season long. Black Friday promotions started a week or more earlier in some cases this year and most major retailers offered Black Friday prices both in stores and online over the weekend. Cyber Monday will last multiple days at retailers including Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Staples, J.C. Penney and Kohl's, all of which started offering deals over the weekend. Black Friday: Green for retailers The nature of 24/7 online shopping may be decreasing the need to head to stores for deals, some data show. Besides convenience and avoiding crowds, 77% of online shoppers over the holiday weekend said they went to the Web because they found better or comparable deals, according to data from Consumer Electronics Association. For the remainder of the season, "every day is going to be Black Friday, every minute is going to be Cyber Monday," Shay says.

"(Retailers) can't let up for an instant because of the competitive nature of what's happening out there." IBM Smarter Commerce, which tracks online sales data for retailers, still expects Cyber Monday to be the peak online shopping day of the year. "Retailers are holding back some inventory and working on new promotions to (entice) consumers to continue to shop Monday and throughout the whole week," says Jay Henderson, director of IBM Smarter Commerce. Online and mobile shopping soared over Thanksgiving and Black Friday and many retailers already broke online records when shoppers started spending on Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday tips Target said it experienced a more than a 40% increase in online orders and sales on Thanksgiving. Walmart had its highest three-day stretch ever of online traffic and orders from Thanksgiving through Saturday. Overall, Smarter Commerce reported online sales on Thanksgiving were up 14.3% over last year, driven by significant mobile use: smartphones and tablets accounted for more than half of all online traffic Thursday. (Photo: Michael Sullivan, AP) That's likely to shift Monday when more people are expected to shop on desktops or laptops while at work, Henderson says.

Walmart hopes it will see more shoppers than last year on Cyber Monday, says Fernando Madeira, CEO of Walmart.com. Cyber Monday was its biggest online shopping day of the year in 2013. This year, it has doubled the number of deals that will be available online, and is offering exclusive promotions on items available for same-day pickup, as well as a round of evening-only deals aimed at people shopping after work. "We believe we're well positioned to capture the traffic," Madeira says. "We expect more momentum." Overall, fewer people shopped in stores and online over the holiday weekend, according to NRF. Traffic was down 5.2% from 2013 and total spending was expected to reach $50.9 billion by Sunday, down from $57.4 billion estimated for the same period last year. "Shoppers have changed the way they view exclusive deals," Shay says. "They have this expectation that it's going to be there all the time." CLOSE Black Friday Black Friday Overall sales surged, while in-store sales declined 11/28/2016 | Twitter Early indications suggest 2016's holiday sales will outpace initial projections by a wide margin.

Sales got off to a red hot pace over the extended Black Friday shopping weekend, with more purchases moving to online channels. One of the first sales reports comes from Adobe, which tracked $5.2 billion in spending over Thanksgiving and Black Friday, a 17.7% increase over last year. At the same time time, brick-and-mortar sales were down from last year. Black Friday sales al... Stores are crowded and online sales surge 11/25/2016 | Twitter It appears that predictions consumers would pass on Black Friday were somewhat exaggerated. Consumers are not only crowding stores looking for bargains, they took advantage of the stores that opened on Thanksgiving. Millions more shopped online. Macy's said there were more than 16,000 shoppers lined up outside its New York flagship store in Harold Square as the doors opened Thanksgiving night. It reports that early sales receipts suggest a lot of people will be finding s... Black Friday may be losing its appeal as the prime shopping day 10/07/2016 | Twitter We report year after year that Black Friday is not necessarily the best day for holiday shopping deals. It seems more consumers are getting the message.

RetailNext, a brick-and-mortar retail analytics firm, has issued its forecast for the busiest holiday shopping days and Black Friday has fallen to third place, behind December 23 and December 17. The company bases its forecast on two factors: anticipated foot traffic and sales. Black Friday is in third place on both lists... That's because millions of consumers are already shopping 10/04/2016 | Twitter If you've been in a retail store in the last week or so, you might have noticed something odd. Retailers have completely skipped over Halloween displays and fast-forwarded to Christmas. The numbers explain why. A survey conducted for BestBlackFriday.com shows a huge number of consumers have already started their holiday shopping, or plan to start very soon. Waiting until Black Friday to start marketing to consumers, the survey suggests, means being late to the party, or ... The trend of trying to get a jump on Black Friday seems to have run its course 10/10/2016 | Twitter A few years ago some people began to be put off by “Black Friday creep.” Stores kept opening earlier and earlier, until they started opening on Thanksgiving Day.

Whether it was consumer backlash at that idea, grumpy employees, or the realization they can sell just as much stuff online, an increasing number of stores this year have made a point of announcing they will not be open on turkey day. BestBlackFriday.com provided us with this list of 44 confirmed closings: Crate a... Survey shows growing backlash against Thanksgiving Day openings 10/26/2016 | Twitter Retailers are trying to get a leg-up on competitors in the holiday shopping sweepstakes, especially as spending continues to migrate to the internet. Many retail analysts believe Amazon is poised to capture a bigger slice of the pie, which may motivate competitors to offer even more enticing deals. Target has taken the wraps off its 2016 holiday strategy, saying it plans to offer new and exclusive inventory in every product category, as well as a wide range of bargains. “... Amazon opens a Black Friday Store with daily deals 11/03/2016 | Twitter As they did last year, retailers are getting an early start on Black Friday deals, rolling them out early to snag consumers' dollars before some other store does.

Amazon has opened up what it calls its Black Friday Store, with sale items every day in advance of the official start to the holiday shopping season. In fact, Amazon is promising to put up new deals periodically every day until December 22. At the same time, the online retail giant has launched several curated H... A security expert offers advice for minimizing them 11/15/2013 | Twitter Consumers are already doing more of their holiday shopping online. Even so, Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is expected to be the busiest online shopping day of the season as retailers roll out a number of specials to take advantage of that. But be warned: scammers and hackers are gearing up for Cyber Monday as well and one expert says Cyber Monday may be the most dangerous day of the year when it comes to having your identity stolen. “The best way to b... Joins other major retailers in opening stores Thanksgiving Day 11/12/2015 | Twitter Walmart's Black Friday ad has leaked, and surprising no one, it shows the nation's largest retailer will join other heavyweights Target, Toys R Us, and Best Buy by opening on Thanksgiving Day.

The 32-page ad, displayed at BestBlackFriday.com, shows Walmart will be open Thanksgiving Day and begin its Black Friday event at 6 p.m. Walmart.com will offer special deals throughout the day. Among the in-store advertised deals for Black Friday, Walmart is offering 50-inch HDTVs f... But an increasing share of those purchases were made online 11/27/2015 | Adele's new album release helped Target get off to a successful start to the shopping season, with most consumers turning to Target.com to make their Thanksgiving Day purchases, which included heavy sales of “25.” Company executives say the stores had good traffic as well, benefiting from on-going promotions. “On Thanksgiving, we saw millions of shoppers take advantage of great offers online and in our stores. Overall, the response from our guests has been very positive, ... It looks like a lot fewer stores will open Thanksgiving Day Retailers appear to have reversed the recent trend 11/09/2015 | Twitter More retailers are jumping on the bandwagon of restoring Thanksgiving Day as a time for food, family, and football – not trips to the mall.

Last year, a few large retailers, such as Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, were closed on the day before Black Friday. As we reported early last month, Staples announced that it would be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as there appeared to be something of a consumer backlash building against Black Friday intruding into Thanksgiving. Since then, a lot more retailers have also announced they would be closed on Thanksgiving. BestBlackFriday.com has published what it says is a confirmed list of retailers that have decided it's more profitable to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends. The retailers include Crate and Barrel, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and T.J. Maxx. REI will not only be closed on Thanksgiving, but Black Friday as well – giving employees the day off with the advice to “spend it outdoors.” By BestBlackFriday.com's count, at least 45 chains have so far decided to return to the tradition of being closed on Thanksgiving Day. After all, most have busy e-commerce sites, which can continue to take orders between the apple pie and kick-off. Alienating consumers Last November, retail marketing expert Arun Jain, a professor at the University at Buffalo (UB), warned that opening on Thanksgiving Day was risky.

“It’s a pity that in the richest country in the world, we cannot reserve even a single day for family, and there is a good chance it could backfire with consumer boycotts,” he said. A better strategy, says Jain, would be opening early Black Friday morning – the way retailers did in the not-too-distant past – and offer spectacular doorbuster bargains. According to BestBlackFriday.com, it appears a lot of retailers have taken that advice. More retailers are jumping on the bandwagon of restoring Thanksgiving Day as a time for food, family, and football – not trips to the mall. Last year, a few large retailers, such as Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, were closed on the day before Black Friday. As we reported early last month, Staples announced that it would be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as there appeared to be something of a consumer backlash building against Black Friday intruding into Thanksgiving. Since t...

Study Predicts Increase in Black Friday Shoppers This Year More than half say they plan to fight the crowds 10/24/2012 | Twitter Black Friday is now less than one month away and the latest shopping forecast suggests the stores will be full, despite research showing it's actually one of the worst days of the holiday season for shopping. Accenture's annual consumer holiday shopping study finds that 53 percent of consumers surveyed said they expected to shop the day after Thanksgiving. But it's not that they like rising before dawn, waiting in the cold for the store to open, and then jostling with other consumers for bargains. In fact, 52 percent said they would be content to spend Black Friday shopping online if they could find the kinds of deals they expect to find in brick and mortar stores. Of course, if they just wait three days for "Cyber Monday" they would find that online retailers do, in fact, offer large discounts on that shopping day. Reversing a decline According to Accenture's previous surveys, interest in Black Friday shopping has been on the decline over the last three years.

In 2011, the survey showed that only 44 percent of respondents were interested in shopping on Black Friday, down from 47 percent in 2010 and 52 percent in 2009. Over the years consumers have complained that big box retailers seem to change the rules at the last minute, opening the doors earlier than advertised. They also complain that many of the "door-buster" specials that drew them to the store in the first place were in such short supply the chances of purchasing the prized merchandise were slim. Earlier this month the Wall Street Journal crunched the numbers and found what many long suspected. While a limited number of big screen TVs might be generously marked down, the kinds of things you routinely buy as gifts aren't. If you want a wristwatch or Barbie doll for example,you'll save more money by watching sale circulars throughout the year and sleeping in on Black Friday. Better times to buy And if you really want a flat-screen TV, Black Friday might not be the time to buy. The Journal found that these items get more expensive the closer you get to the holidays. The lowest prices on the widest selections of sets, it turns out, is in October.

But the Accenture study also suggests consumers will be careful, savvy shoppers this holiday season. Fifty-one percent says they have already made their shopping plans and will use cash they have set aside throughout the year, rather than run up credit card balances. “The U.S. consumer refuses to be counted out and is entering this holiday season better prepared and more willing to open his or her wallet,” said Chris Donnelly, managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “Self-sacrificing will be down and spending will be slightly up, however, our research also shows that shoppers will remain disciplined in their spending. Showrooming "Showrooming" will also be a factor. That's when consumers shop for merchandise in a brick and mortar store, then use their smartphones to check prices elsewhere and online. The study shows 56 percent of shoppers expect to "showroom" this year and 27 percent of these same shoppers say they would likely make the purchase online, using their smartphone or tablet, while they are still out shopping. “The research illustrates a shift in U.S. consumers’ approach to their holiday spending,” said Donnelly.

“Many consumers are still struggling to balance their household budgets, at the same time that pay raises and bonuses remain in short supply, and they are realizing that this is not a short-term phenomenon. Consumers will remain resistant to the impulse purchase, and retailers will have to work harder to secure that extra spend by having a unique product, service or experience, and being clear on the value to the customer.” Black Friday is now less than one month away and the latest shopping forecast suggests the stores will be full, despite research showing it's actually one of the worst days of the holiday season for shopping. Accenture's annual consumer holiday shopping study finds that 53 percent of consumers surveyed said they expected to shop the day after Thanksgiving. But it's not that they like rising before dawn, waiting in the cold for the store to open, and then jostling with ot... Waiting for Black Friday may mean missing some great deals Retailers are putting gift items on sale right now, mostly online 11/04/2013 | Twitter If someone on your gift list wants a consumer electronics product, you should be shopping now, not waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Waiting may mean missing some of the best deals.

“Sales on electronics tend to peak from early to mid November,” said Loren Bendele, president of Savings.com , a coupon and deal site. “After November 14 the deals kind of go away for a while. So if you're looking for electronics, now is a great time to buy.” Bendele's advice is based on his company's research, tracking sales and discounts all year long. He and other researchers have found that the shopping game has changed significantly in recent years as retailers have developed highly competitive online strategies. Walmart starting sales now An example is Walmart's announcement that it isn't waiting for Black Friday to start offering Black Friday deals. The nation's largest retailer says it will offer discounts typically reserved for Black Friday and Cyber Monday right now for consumers shopping online. "We know that our customers start shopping for the holidays on Nov. 1 because historically our traffic spikes the day after Halloween," said Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Walmart.com.

"Customers want to relax with friends and family during the holidays, and with our early deals we are helping them make the most of their time and helping them stretch their dollars further." But Bendele sees it as a continued evolution in which the in-store sales of Black Friday – and now Thanksgiving night – are becoming less important. Soured on the madness “I think people have soured on the madness of Black Friday,” he said. “The getting up early, fighting the crowds and standing in line is less attractive. The main reason is they don't have to do it anymore. You can go online and get the same or better deals.” Data backs that up. Last year in-store Black Friday sales dipped two percent. However, Black Friday online sales went up 26%. Research has also borne out the fact that, doorbuster deals aside, the in-store savings aren't that great on Black Friday. While consumers have always lined up on Black Friday in hopes of getting the season's hot gift on sale, retailers began to fan the enthusiasm after the economic crash of 2008, when they had to compete for fewer holiday dollars. That year a Walmart employee was trampled to death at a Long Island store.

Since then the deals have gotten bigger – even if the number of spectacularly marked-down items were limited in number. Wising up But in the last year or two, consumers have been wising up. Bendele says the best deals on toys tend to be during the first two weeks of December. The best prices on apparel tend to be in mid-December. There may be a good reason, however, to do some Black Friday shopping – if you aren't looking for a specific item. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday are really a great time to find deals because the the sales are on specific products,” Bendele said. “If you aren't choosy about the make and model of a TV, for example, you'll find once significantly marked down. If you see a laptop that's on sale, you might say 'that's a really good price on a laptop. I might as well get that one.'” By the same token, if you are looking for a specific make and model of a TV, or any other gift, you might do better waiting closer to the holidays, when merchants tend to mark everything down. And since there are fewer shopping days this holiday season, retailers may be more aggressive in their markdowns.

Enduring tradition Some people go shopping on Black Friday, not so much for the deals, but for the communal experience -- to rub shoulders with fellow consumers embracing the search for gifts at bargain prices. Bendele says they needn't worry about Black Friday fading away. “First, Black Friday has become a tradition and traditions don't usually go away,” he said. “Second, you have a lot of people who are procrastinators, who really can't get in the mood to shop for the holidays until Thanksgiving arrives. I think people still do that and will do that for a while.” According to Valpak’s 2013 holiday research, Black Friday will be a force for at least another another year. In a survey more than three-in-five of consumers say they will shop on Black Friday this year. More than one-quarter of consumers in the survey say they would be willing to skip the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and head to the store for an early deal on Black Friday. If someone on your gift list wants a consumer electronics product, you should be shopping now, not waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Waiting may mean missing some of the best deals.

“Sales on electronics tend to peak from early to mid November,” said Loren Bendele, president of Savings.com, a coupon and deal site. “After November 14 the deals kind of go away for a while. So if you're looking for electronics, now is a great time to buy.” B... Twitter © Retro sellingpix - Fotolia Even though the nation's retailers have rolled out sales promotions all month long, most still expect a robust turnout for Black Friday, which increasingly starts on Thanksgiving day. But they might have to work harder for shoppers. A survey conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF) finds 61% of consumers may or will shop either Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. That equates to about 140 million consumers – roughly the same as last year. Why no growth in the numbers? It may be because there have already been plenty of deals. It could also mean more bargain-conscious consumers are taking a wait-and-see approach. “Consumers today want more than just the discounts they’ve been showered with since the start of the recession; they want exclusive offerings and a good reason to spend their discretionary budgets,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Major shift In fact, Shay believes there could be a major shift this year as shoppers become more picky. The Internet gives consumers multiple tools to compare prices and the difference of just a couple of dollars – or the inclusion of free shopping – could influence a buying decision. While there has been criticism of retailers launching their Black Friday promotions on Thanksgiving, there appear to be significant demographic differences in those attitudes. The survey suggests much of the criticism is confined to older generations. Millennials, on the other hand, are much more willing to including shopping as part of their Thanksgiving Day activities. Nearly one-quarter of 18 to 24 year olds said they plan to shop on the holiday. “For younger shoppers, shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday is as much a social experience as it is a buying mission,” said polling firm Prosper Insights & Analytics Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow. “While these shoppers may not have the biggest holiday budgets or the longest shopping lists, they still enjoy the ‘tradition’ of heading out with friends and family on two of retail’s most exciting shopping days.” Last year for old credit cards?

Shay, meanwhile, says this could be the last holiday shopping season in which consumers use the current magnetic strip credit and debit cards that are more prone to fraud. He says these cards haven't been updated since the 1960s, despite 21st-century cyber threats and criminals who use the Internet to steal money from half a world away. “The good news is that the card industry plans to roll out new cards in 2015 that will replace the easy-to-copy magnetic stripe with a sophisticated computer microchip that is far more difficult to counterfeit,” Shay writes in an op-ed. “Chip-based EMV cards are used in 80 countries and have reduced fraud as much as 75%.” However, Shay also notes that U.S. banks don’t plan to replace the signature with a personal identification number the way banks have in the rest of the world. Rather than “chip-and-PIN,” U.S. banks are calling their new cards “chip and choice.” Retailers are expressing disappointment. Shay says the PIN is a critical element of fraud reduction and that where it has been implemented, it has worked.

He says the chip ensures that the card is real, but the PIN is needed to prove that the person trying to use it is the legitimate cardholder. “In today’s world of high-tech criminal hacking, an easily forged, illegible scrawl at the bottom of a receipt is no longer good enough,” Shay says. Even though the nation's retailers have rolled out sales promotions all month long, most still expect a robust turnout for Black Friday, which increasingly starts on Thanksgiving day. But they might have to work harder for shoppers. A survey conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF) finds 61% of consumers may or will shop either Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. That equates to about 140 million consumers – roughly the same as last year. Why no growth in... Twitter Many consumers who rise before dawn on Black Friday and stand in the cold waiting for a store to open often complain that it wasn't worth it – they didn't get the item they wanted or it cost more than they thought. Their experience is not all that uncommon, it turns out. According to a new study by ShopAdvisor, a shopping service, Black Friday was among the worst sales days of the 2011 shopping season.

Higher prices on Black Friday The study tracked the prices of 252 toys from the first day of autumn and found that in the 54 days from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, the day with the lowest percentage -- 46 percent -- of products on sale below their initial holiday season price was Black Friday, Nov. 25. The day with the highest percentage -- 59 percent -- of products on sale was Sunday, Nov. 13. After Thanksgiving, Thursday, Dec. 1 was the day with the next largest percentage of products on sale. As a matter of fact, Black Friday turned out to be the day on which shoppers begin to see prices spike on select items. On Black Friday itself, 24 percent of the toys on ShopAdvisor's list were priced above their initial holiday season price. Waiting too late is costly, too After Black Friday, the day with the most toys selling at a premium price was Dec. 23, two days before Christmas. "Our experience tracking more than a hundred million products shows that although Black Friday may be a good day for shopping, there are 'blacker' days to be found during the holiday shopping season," said Scott Cooper, CEO of ShopAdvisor.

ShopAdvisor drew up its list of toys by monitoring the choices of its more than 6.5 million users who add products to their ShopAdvisor Watchlist and receive email and mobile notifications when prices drop or out-of-stock products become available. The company says prices will fluctuate during the season, probably more than most consumers realize. The most vigilant shoppers will watch for sudden price drops and avoid price spikes that often last only a day or two before plunging back down to their original price or lower. Volatile prices For example, National Products' 6 Volt Pink Hummer H2 started the holiday season selling for $186. For two days it dropped as low as $132. On Thanksgiving Day it spiked to $227, fell to $190 on Black Friday, and then spiked back to $227 eight more times before Christmas day. In between those spikes, a savvy shopper could find it for $160 on six different days. Hasbro's popular Sesame Street Let's Rock Elmo was a bargain for almost the entire season, selling below its initial holiday season price of $59 on 60 of the next 65 days. The only question for shoppers was how long to hold out.

Those who waited until Sunday, Dec, 18 got a 49 percent discount, paying only $29. Best day? If you hit the snooze bar on Black Friday, then when should you shop for the best deals? It will probably vary store to store, but ShopAdvisor says steep discounts of 30 percent or more began to show up the Sunday before Thanksgiving. For example, the $117 LEGO Ninjago Fire Temple dropped 38 percent to $72 for three days from Nov. 18-20. The more risk you're willing to take on, the longer you should wait to shop. If shoppers are willing to wait, or procrastinate, they can count on steep discounts in the two weeks before Christmas. Last year, every day, starting Dec. 11, at least one in ten toys were available for 30 percent or more under their original prices. And here's another piece of holiday shopping advice: avoid day-after-Christmas shopping; wait until Dec. 29. If the toy you are giving does not have to be under the tree on Christmas day, it pays to wait until Dec.

29 when 17 percent of all the toys in the ShopAdvisor Watchlist were available for 30 percent less than their pre-Black Friday prices. Many consumers who rise before dawn on Black Friday and stand in the cold waiting for a store to open often complain that it wasn't worth it – they didn't get the item they wanted or it cost more than they thought. Their experience is not all that uncommon, it turns out. According to a new study by ShopAdvisor, a shopping service, Black Friday was among the worst sales days of the 2011 shopping season. The study tracked the prices of 252 toys from th... Twitter © niroworld - Fotolia In the distant past – 2007, for instance – Black Friday and Cyber Monday were their own standalone holiday shopping events. People lined up in front of department stores in the early morning hours the day after Thanksgiving for door-buster specials. Then the following Monday they would go to work and, while the boss wasn't looking, go online to shop for bargains on electronic gadgets. Ah, the quaint days of yesteryear. Blurred lines Now, November has become one long triathlon for competitive retailers and bargain-hungry consumers.

The lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have blurred into one long weekend of sales promotions. Eric Jones of Jones-Dengler Marketing, operator of the BestBlackFriday.com website, says most retailers shifted gears from Black Friday to Cyber Monday over the weekend without skipping a beat. “In other words, there is really no difference,” Jones told ConsumerAffairs. “Stores are continuing the same online sales with slightly different products but the same theme and just renaming each one.” In fact, he says his company's Black Friday website had more traffic on Thanksgiving than Black Friday itself while his Cyber Monday website surpassed the Black Friday website in traffic over the weekend. Cyber Monday started Saturday Meanwhile, major online retailers like Best Buy and Amazon.com started their Cyber Monday sales promotions on Saturday. Amazon, which pioneered Cyber Monday marketing, is stretching the event into 8 days, running into next weekend. While the earliest Cyber Monday shopping events focused mostly on electronics, Amazon and other retailers are pushing discounts on toys, housewares, apparel and other gift categories.

In announcing its early bargains, Amazon said it will be selling a Sony 40-inch 1080p LED TV for $298; an LG 49-inch Smart 4K Ultra HD LED TV for $999 with 15% back in rewards; and an Acer Chromebook at $149. Over the weekend the Amazon Appstore offered sale prices on popular apps and games. It works Why have retailers stepped up the selling pressure? In short, because they have found that it pays off. Giving consumers more opportunities to shop for bargains usually means they will shop and buy more. And that may be especially true this year. Since 2009 retailers have had to compete for a shrinking consumer dollar, as the financial crisis and Great Recession meant consumers were much more bargain-conscious. Consumers continue to look for deals – and have many more technology tools to help them find them – but this year they have a little more money in their pockets, thanks to falling gasoline prices. But the fear that their competitor will get to the customer first has sparked the earlier, and more intense holiday sales promotions, all of which threaten to take the wind out of the sails of these traditional holiday shopping days.

Preliminary figures suggest foot traffic was down at brick and mortar locations on Black Friday. That may be because more purchases were made online -- and not by people sitting at their computers at home. Branding Brand, a mobile commerce platform provider, reports just over one-third of online purchases on Black Friday were made from mobile devices, up 48% over last year. As more purchases move to online sales and start earlier and last longer, Cyber Monday may turn out to be just another shopping day. In the distant past – 2007, for instance – Black Friday and Cyber Monday were their own standalone holiday shopping events. People lined up in front of department stores in the early morning hours the day after Thanksgiving for door-buster specials. Then the following Monday they would go to work and, while the boss wasn't looking, go online to shop for bargains on electronic gadgets. Ah, the quaint days of yesteryear. Now, November has become one long triathlon ... Twitter On Friday, Nov. 23, millions of consumers will flock to stores to take part in the Black Friday shopping experience. They are drawn by the promise of bargains and the thrill of mixing it up with throngs of fellow shoppers.

Unfortunately, the bargains are not always plentiful. While stores promote deep savings on a handful of highly desirable items, the prices of everything else are not much different from a normal shopping day. Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org , suggests going home with a Black Friday deal will require some advance planning. “Black Friday now starts on Thursday,” Dworsky said. “And for the first time, some stores are staggering their doorbusters, releasing different ones at different times. For Walmart, it is at 8pm and 10pm on Thursday and 5am Friday, while at Sears it is at 8pm and 4am. “If you don’t read their circulars carefully, you may show up at the store either hours early or hours late.” Here are Dworsky's top 10 ways to get a Black Friday bargain: Read the ads: Preview the Black Friday sale circulars before hitting the stores. Not only will they appear in local papers next week, many ad slicks are now online at numerous Black Friday shopping sites. Make sure there is a bargain worth getting up in the middle of the night for. Evaluate the deals: Not all Black Friday advertised items are great deals.

Others will become available the weekend before Thanksgiving, on Cyber Monday, or in mid-December. Compare the ads to what the item is selling for online. For example, Amazon.com has been offering Black Friday deals throughout November. Research the Right Product: A low price on a lousy product is no bargain. Check Websites like ConsumerAffairs for consumer reviews. Some publications feature reviews by professionals. Use coupons: To save the most, combine the primary ways to save: buy items at a good sale price, use percent-off/dollars-off coupons offered by some stores to lower that price even more, and look for items that also have a cash back rebate. Keep in mind some Black Friday sale items may not accept coupons. If that's the case the ads should say so. Be an Early Bird: That may mean heading out on Thanksgiving night if you are shopping at Walmart, Sears, Kmart, Kohls, Macy's and Toys“R”Us. Just keep in mind the employees waiting on you will not be the happiest people in the world, having been dragged away from family celebrations by their bosses. Beat the Early Birds: In some cases you may be able to start shopping before everyone else.

Sears is letting its reward club members buy some doorbusters starting on Sunday, November 18. To plan for the real Black Friday, scope-out key retailers on Wednesday before Thanksgiving to learn each store’s floor plan in advance. Avoid the crowds by ordering online since some Black Friday deals may be available on Thanksgiving Day or early Friday. Be warned, however, that stores are not generally good about indicating which items will also be available online. Check the Return Policy: Before buying, find out the store's return policy. While many stores have extended their return deadlines into January, others are clamping down by imposing restocking fees on certain categories of items, or by using a blacklisting database or returns tracking system to deny refunds to returns abusers. Get a Gift Receipt: Make returns easier for gift recipients by asking the store for a gift receipt and include it in the gift box. Without a receipt, a refund may be denied outright, or may be limited to only an equal exchange, or to a merchandise credit for the lowest price the item has sold for in the recent past. Use the Right Credit Card: Certain credit cards offer valuable free benefits.

For example, don't be pressured into buying a service contract when you can get up to an extra year of warranty coverage free just by using most gold or platinum credit cards. Ask your credit card issuer what length warranties qualify for an extra year of coverage, if any. Some credit cards also offer a return protection guarantee. Save More with Price-Match Guarantees: Keep checking the prices of the items you buy. Since many stores offer a price protection guarantee, you may be entitled to get back some additional money if the seller or a competitor offers a lower price before Christmas. On Friday, Nov. 23, millions of consumers will flock to stores to take part in the Black Friday shopping experience. They are drawn by the promise of bargains and the thrill of mixing it up with throngs of fellow shoppers. Unfortunately, the bargains are not always plentiful. While stores promote deep savings on a handful of highly desirable items, the prices of everything else are not much different from a normal shopping day. Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org...

Black Friday: retailers say it's the busiest day on record - Telegraph News Black Friday: retailers say it's the busiest day on record Online retailers boast the highest day of sales on record, as shops forecast a 15 per cent surge in sales, despite chaos and violence in some parts of the country Follow Retailers say they have celebrated their busiest day ever after Black Friday “surpassed all expectations”. Online store Amazon recorded orders for more than 5.5 million goods, while London’s Oxford Street said sales for the three-day weekend are expected to be up to 15 per cent up on the same period last year. It followed scenes of chaos in many parts of the country. Police were called to supermarkets across the UK as shoppers fought for discounted products, while the websites for Tesco, John Lewis, Currys and Argos all crashed under the weight of demand. The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police said that he was “disappointed” about the measures taken by retailers to prepare for the influx of shoppers, while retail analysts warned that the reputation of companies could be damaged by the online failures. Related Articles 01 Dec 2014 Black Friday has traditionally been an American retail phenomenon that takes place on the day after Thanksgiving.

However, Amazon brought the promotional event into the UK in 2010 and this year most of Britain’s retailers offered discounts. The online retailer said that it had recorded orders for more than 5.5 million goods on Friday – with around 64 items sold per second. This surpassed the 4 million sold last black Friday, and a previous record of 4.1 million sales which was achieved on “Cyber Monday” last year – the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Vice President of EU Retail at Amazon, Xavier Garambois, said: "Ever since we introduced Black Friday to the UK in 2010, sales have increased year on year but this year really has surpassed all of our expectations. "The public's appetite for Black Friday has been bigger than ever, kicking off the Christmas shopping period in earnest and establishing Black Friday as a fixture on the UK Christmas shopping calendar." Police had to step in to break up fights that erupted in the aisles of supermarkets offering huge price cuts on the annual promotions day, which has now emerged as one of Britain's busiest shopping days. Retailers in Oxford Street reported a 20 per cent increase in visitors on Friday morning, compared with Black Friday last year.

New West End Company, which represents the shops in Oxford Street, said they were expecting sales for the three-day weekend to be between 10 and 15 per cent higher than the same period last year . Jace Tyrrell, Deputy Chief Executive, of the company said on Saturday that stores were reporting “brisk trade” with forecasts now suggesting £150m will be spent over the three days. He said: “We are really seeing the public embrace Black Friday – it’s becoming like Boxing Day for retailers. It used to be that this was mainly about technology products but it is far broader now, and we are seeing a lot of fashion sales.” Mr Tyrell said on Saturday that Oxford Street was busy, but did not seem to be suffering from the outbreaks of violence in other parts of the country, as shoppers clamoured to get their hands on a bargain. Retailers said the timing of Black Friday brought shoppers out in their hordes. Ian Dallow of Debenhams in Oxford Street said, “The last Friday of November has always been a big shopping day, because it falls around the penultimate pay day before Christmas.

Black Friday has made it even more exciting and this Friday will not disappoint, with plenty of fantastic opportunities to find the perfect Christmas gift. Asda is among the retailers extending the offers today after more than 2 million people visited its stores yesterday, sparking chaos and violence in some branches over discounted TVs. Huge demand saw shoppers struggling to access the websites of Tesco Direct, Currys, Argos and GAME yesterday. One of Britain's most senior police officers criticised retailers for their handling of the crowds which threatened to cause crushes and urged retailers to work with police in further sales events. At least three people were arrested and a woman was hurt after being hit by a falling television, while some outlets were forced to shut to restore order. Eyewitnesses described how bargain-hunters behaved "like animals" and likened scenes to "a war zone". Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, whose force appealed to shoppers to "keep calm", said the events were "totally predictable" and that he was "disappointed stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty". "This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers," he said.

"It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched. "Across Greater Manchester large supermarkets already make significant demands on policing through calls to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts of fuel from their petrol stations - much of which is preventable. "We just ask these stores to work with us to reduce the demands on policing and reduce the risks of disorder and crime." After Metropolitan police were called to three Tesco branches in London following reports of large crowds in Edmonton, Willesden and Surrey Quays, Sergeant Paul Marshall said on Twitter: "Even on Black Friday shoving people to the floor so you can get £20 off a coffee maker is still an assault."

Question: What do internet retailers call the Monday after Black Friday?
Answer: Cyber Monday