Monday, October 19, 2009

Black Friday & Cyber Monday: From Waiting On Line to Shopping Online

Black Friday & Cyber Monday: From Waiting On Line to Shopping Online

Tired of pitching tents in parking lots and pushing their way through crowded stores, more and more Black Friday shoppers are turning to online sales. But even seasoned shoppers are in need of some pointers when it comes to starting the holiday shopping season off online. They're confused by Cyber Monday, they're not sure what time to shop, and they don't know what retailers offer online. That's why this year, BlackFriday.fm (http://blackfriday.fm) has examined 2008 Black Friday and Cyber Monday trends, and is letting shoppers know what they can expect from the 2009 season. Armed with this valuable information, shoppers can successfully prepare themselves for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days of the year.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 19, 2009 -- Tired of pitching tents in parking lots and pushing their way through crowded stores, more and more Black Friday shoppers are turning to online sales. But even seasoned shoppers are in need of some pointers when it comes to starting the holiday shopping season off online. They're confused by Cyber Monday, they're not sure what time to shop, and they don't know what retailers offer online. That's why this year, BlackFriday.fm (http://blackfriday.fm) has examined 2008 Black Friday and Cyber Monday trends, and is letting shoppers know what they can expect from the 2009 season. Armed with this valuable information, shoppers can successfully prepare themselves for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days of the year.

Only a few years ago, retailers created Cyber Monday in an attempt to boost online sales. It offers shoppers one final opportunity to capitalize on any deals they may have missed on Black Friday, but from the comfort of their office computers. However, while Cyber Monday is another chance to enjoy major online markdowns, it is sometimes a cause of confusion for holiday shoppers, who aren't sure if they should make their online purchases on Black Friday, or if they should hold off until Monday. And the fact is that with more and more retailers offering online deals on Black Friday in addition to their in-store sales, shoppers don't need to wait. On Black Friday 2008, 90% of consumer electronics deals, which are the top Black Friday seller, were available online, along with 70% of the electronics doorbuster deals. And shoppers seemed to notice that there was no need to hold off on online purchases. On BlackFriday.fm and two of its sister sites, traffic increased 188.58% from the November average on Black Friday, while on Cyber Monday it only increased 50.92%. Meanwhile, the total sale amount made on Black Friday was nearly twice as much as the amount made on Cyber Monday. So what does that mean for this year? It is likely that retailers will have even more online deals and doorbusters available on Black Friday, and some may even offer pre-Black Friday sales. Search trends show that every year, shoppers are searching online for Black Friday deals earlier, and retailers seem to be responding accordingly. Research recently done by Yahoo! shows that advertising done in the weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday helps sales, so shoppers can expect to find the sale information they're looking for even earlier than last year. It is also very likely that many stores will start cutting prices weeks ahead of time to satisfy eager shoppers. Last year, Circuit City, Sears, Dell, and Newegg all started slashing prices on online products a few days before Black Friday, and they may do the same this year. Walmart, Target and Toys'R'Us have already drawn attention this year by cutting prices more than a month before Thanksgiving, so it is possible that other retailers will follow.

Cyber Monday isn't the only cause of confusion when it comes to online holiday shopping. Novice and seasoned shoppers alike want to know the best time of day to shop online. Of course, when it comes to Black Friday, the best advice is simply: "the early bird catches the worm." In 2008, BlackFriday.fm and its sister sites saw the number of sales begin a steady incline at midnight on Black Friday, with extreme highs from 1:00AM PST to 4:00AM PST. Sales then decreased until 7:00AM PST, leveled out, and finally jumped again around 1:00PM. For shoppers who are looking for specific items, or for those interested in specific stores, it's best to do some pre-Black Friday research to see where the items are available and what time the stores begin their online sales (remember to consider the difference in time zones). This information can usually be found on a store's website, or on the store's page on www.BlackFriday.fm, where early bird specials are also noted. It is best to purchase items as close to the start of the sale as possible, because availability is much more limited later in the day. And for shoppers who wait until Cyber Monday to shop online, it is even more important to shop early because quantities are likely to be more limited. However, shoppers shouldn't be discouraged. On BlackFriday.fm and its two sister sites, sale amounts were still 198% higher on Cyber Monday than the November average in 2008. And even on the day after Black Friday, sales were up 127%, so shoppers should make the most of it if they miss out on Friday.

Of course, the best way to prepare for Black Friday is to stay informed. Shoppers should research the items they plan to purchase, they should keep an eye out for special Black Friday deals and offers, and they should check BlackFridday.fm for the latest news on Black Friday 2009.

BlackFriday.fm was launched in 2008, and is the sister site of DealsPl.us. While it is only a year old, it has already been listed in Mashable's "Top 10 Best Resources for Black Friday," as well as PCMag's list of "The Top 10 Black Friday Sites." BlackFriday.fm is also the only Black Friday website to be included in Wikipedia.

For more information, please visit http://www.BlackFriday.fm.

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Contact Information Jessica Swain

Sazze, Inc.

http://www.blackfriday.fm/

408-217-8617



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