So many of the traditions we adhere to and enjoy during the holiday season is based on myth. Santa Claus (hope no kids are reading this), mistletoe dates back to Celtic mythology, and if many people on the internet have their way Cyber Monday could join the list.
Will you shop online during Cyber Monday? … let us know.
If you’re reading this then I’m guessing you know much of the history surrounding Cyber Monday. It was a term coined by Shop.org in 2005, signifying the increase of online shopping during the Monday after Thanksgiving break. Since the term was established, we’ve had CyberMonday.com conveniently placed to let us know of impending deals. The site promotes an honorable pursuit with the Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund. A scholarship given to students pursuing an e-commerce career.
So, that’s a small piece of history surrounding Cyber Monday but is it still a factor?
Like so many things in life it depends on who you ask. There is a large congregation of people who call Cyber Monday nothing but a myth. Permuto.com claims it’s a marketing ploy for creating a hype with consumers, and driving them to the online retail arena. Their study shows the Monday after Thanksgiving isn’t close to being the busiest online shopping day of the year. The greatest holiday sales actually occur between December 5th-15th.
The question now remains, if Cyber Monday isn’t the busiest online shopping day of the year then what’s it’s significance? Turning back to Shop.org, their Executive Director Scott Silverman once said, “It was not the biggest day, but it was an opportunity to create some consumer excitement”
Visiting CyberMonday.com it was surprising to see the amount of deals they have posted which have nothing to do with actual Cyber Monday. They’re just deals in the general ‘holiday sense’. The companies who are offering exclusive Cyber Monday deals seem to be smaller online only stores. Amazon.com still doesn’t acknowledge Cyber Monday on their site. Hybrid companies like Best Buy will be offering their Black Friday ‘Doorbuster Deals’ at brick-and-mortar locations along with purchasing online. Wouldn’t that make it Cyber Friday, along with Black Friday?
Throughout my journey in the world of online holiday shopping, I’ve seen nothing that would make me think Cyber Monday is a bigger deal than any other holiday online shopping day. Like so many traditions during the holiday season the truth behind them is a lot less appealing than the perception. However, when marketing online and attracting consumers perception tends to be more important than reality.
