WASHINGTON — Cyber Monday, the ceremonial kickoff to the online holiday shopping season, will likely be
even bigger this year as retailers target at-work shoppers with lunch hour promotions and special savings, according to the National Retail Federation.
In fact, November 27, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is expected to be one of the biggest online holiday shopping days again this year.
Online retailers have good reason to focus on the office crowd, as the number of people who will shop online for holiday gifts from work is expected to surge to 61.0 million people this year, up from 51.7 million people last year, according to a recent Shop.org survey conducted by BIGresearch. In fact, more than half of consumers (50.7%) with Internet access at work plan to do some holiday shopping online from the office, up from 44.7% last year. Young adults with online access at work are the most likely to shop, with almost three-fourths (71.5%) of 18-24 year-olds and two-thirds (66.4%) of 25-34 year-olds planning to browse or buy online from the office this holiday season.Â
While some shoppers are undoubtedly shopping during working hours, employers find most people shopping online during their lunch hours or before and after work.
“Online retailers typically see huge surges in website traffic during traditional lunch hours,†said Scott Silverman, Executive Director of Shop.org. “Shopping at work can be a great way for many consumers to complete holiday buying without having to worry about sneaky gift recipients looking over their shoulders.â€
On Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, online retailers will be unveiling an array of promotions to demonstrate what websites have to offer this holiday season.
There will certainly be a lot at stake: according to the Shop.org/Shopzilla eHoliday Mood Study, conducted by BizRate Research, Cyber Monday was the second biggest shopping day of the holiday season last year. (December 12, which was one of the last days online retailers offered free standard shipping, was first.)
