Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day of the year, and for good reason. Not only do retailers heavily discount goods, but many also offer free shipping. That’s why Cyber Monday sales growth has been steady for the past few years, but it may finally be showing signs of slowing down.
ABC News reports that Cyber Monday sales are up by only 8.1 percent this year over last. It’s a significant decrease compared to last year when sales rose by over 20 percent compared to Black Friday 2012. When retailers are looking for increased growth, the numbers seen today aren’t looking so good.
Of course, there are a number of factors to consider when looking at online shopping this year. First, the results being reported don’t represent all the shopping taking place today. After all, there are some people who will do their Cyber Monday shopping at night and that may increase the total haul for this year. The more important factor, however, is that many online retailers are holding Cyber Monday week or month events. In other words, shoppers have already been treated to Cyber Monday deals for the past week so there’s less reason to shop today.
Speaking of which, analysts are saying that retailers may be offering subpar deals compared to past years. The feeling is that retailers know people are going to show up anyway so why try to attract their attention with amazing deals. After all, just simply saying something is on sale is usually enough to entice shoppers even if the sale price isn’t much lower than the retail price.
If you’re in the market for Cyber Monday deals, you can still get your hands on discounted goods before some sales end tonight at midnight. It’s good to remember, however, that some sales will be going for the rest of the week or month. As we approach Christmas, expect to see some crazy deals as retailers look to clear stock.
Oh, and if you find yourself in the giving mood tomorrow after treating yourself to cheap movies, video games and computers, the White House has an idea:
After #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday comes #GivingTuesday—a day for all Americans to give back to their communities: http://t.co/YXtBRqno8b
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 2, 2014
