It can be argued that Black Friday is not nearly as important for retailers today as it has been in the past.
It can also be said that Cyber Monday was essentially a marketing creation of the retail industry designed to spur consumers to go online the Monday following Thanksgiving and buy stuff.
While it may be possible to argue the validity of the previous statements, one thing that many retailers agree on is that Cyber Monday and all the online days that follow are going to be more important this year than in the past as sales in stores are expected to be down for the holiday season.
According to the eHoliday Survey, conducted for Shop.org by Shopzilla, nearly 84 percent of online merchants will have special Cyber Monday promotions this year versus 72.2 percent in 2007. In addition to specific savings, 22.5 percent of e-tailers plan to offer free shipping in all purchases.
"As shoppers focus on price this holiday season, online retailers will be extremely competitive to offer the very best deals," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org, in a press release. "Americans who are looking to put a dent in their holiday shopping will be able to find thousands of bargains on Cyber Monday."
Discussion Questions: How much more (or less) important is the online channel to retail performance this holiday season? What online merchants do you think are doing the best job of promoting deals leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday?