Sales continue for Cyber Monday shoppers
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 11/26/2007
NOV. 26 | Most retailers kept the Black Friday sales burning past the weekend, as major bricks-and-mortar chains Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Circuit City, Sears, Kmart and F.Y.E were among those promoting further deals on their Web sites on Monday.
Similar to Black Friday falling outside of one 24-hour period, Cyber Monday appeared to push the boundaries of one day, with Best Buy offering online deals Sunday and Monday, and Circuit City doing the same for Sunday through Tuesday.
Bricks-and-mortar retailers are probably wise to cozy up to Cyber Monday, with 72 million customers expected to purchase items on this day, according to a Shop.org survey. That marks a jump of about 19% from last year’s Cyber Monday and a lift of 22% from the same 2005 day.
Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, estimates that about 72.2% of retail Web sites are planning a Cyber Monday promotion, representing an increase from the 42.7% that participated two years ago.
Web analyst comScore predicts consumers should collectively spend $700 million online on Monday. That would set a record for best one-day Web sales and would also top the $531 million consumers spent at retail Web sites during this year's Black Friday frame, according to comScore.
“Retailers will be unveiling a variety of incredible one-day sales on Cyber Monday to bring customers to their Web sites,” said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org. “Online retailers consider a Cyber Monday a virtual Black Friday and will be offering promotions that will be tough to beat later in the holiday season.”
Perhaps to distinguish itself from rivals, prominent e-tailer Amazon.com was not stamping a Cyber Monday banner across its site to promote further offers on that day.
However, Amazon.com was continuing its popular ‘Customers Vote’ feature, where shoppers vote for price cuts on selected products, such as Toshiba HD DVD players and Sony PlayStation 3s.
Featured Cyber Monday deals at Best Buy included 50% off film and TV DVDs, and free shipping on various PCs and laptops. Additionally, Best Buy was extending through Monday its Black Friday-pricing on a number of items, including $399 Sony Blu-ray Disc players, normally priced at $499.
Circuit City’s Cyber Monday page trumpeted that shoppers could save an extra 10% on purchases $249 and up when buying online or on the Web site for in-store pick-up. Additionally available were $399-priced Samsung Blu-ray players (usually $499), and $399 Sony Blu-ray players. Circuit City had advertised these products with similar $100 price chops during the Black Friday frame as well.
Wal-Mart was highlighting an Xbox 360 Starter Bundle for $399, which featured three games, a messenger bag and a wireless controller. By 10 a.m. pacific time Monday, the site was already noting that the product was out of stock.
For one day only, F.Y.E. advertised a variety of Web-exclusive DVD savings. Featured deals at FYE.com included 15% on its entire music, movie and used selection, ‘buy one get one free’ TV DVD sets and thousands of sale-priced DVDs at $7.99, $9.99 and $11.99 price points.
