Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday

They are the biggest shopping days of the year. Merchants prepare months in advance for these days of pure insanity, hoping to increase their revenue from years past.

And, shoppers cannot wait to spend their money knowing they will be saving and grabbing that "good" deal.

To prepare for Black Friday can be an ordeal in itself and not just for the merchants. There are several people that take Black Friday as an all-day event. Getting up at 3 in the morning isn't uncommon and brewing that morning coffee is a necessity in order to survive the day's events. One must have a Black Friday shopping game plan indicating which stores take precedent over others based on their deals. Once an order has been established, the wait is on and is sometimes a wait out in the winter chill. Hat, gloves and coffee can help make the wait more bearable.

Often times, Black Friday has become a tradition amongst family and some shopping plans incorporate the "you-go-here-i-go-there" technique and we'll meet at "store C".
That strategy works well if you are adament about getting into the store, making your purchase, and getting out of the store to move onto the next.

How do you measure a successful Black Friday experience? For merchants, it is based on sales. For shoppers, success may be measured differently.

Trying to be unbiased here, but it is extremely difficult.
I love Cyber Monday. I absolutely love it. And, let me tell you why I love it. I can sit in my pajamas all day long in the convenience of my own home. I can lay out my VISA card right next to me, sip on my morning coffee, and go through my list of coupon codes, free shipping offers, and bargains. There are no lines. There is no chaos. It doesn't get any better than that! The only wait you have as a Cyber Monday shopper is the wait for the purchase to arrive at your doorstep.

Shopping online has become a growing trend as shoppers become more comfortable making online purchases. With Black Friday, it is an instant purchase, product in hand. With Cyber Monday, it is an instant purchase, product en route. As technology becomes more advanced and merchants become more competitive amongst each other online, Cyber Monday will be more of a tradition for shoppers. For merchants it is a win-win.



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