For now, Black Friday is still the biggest shopping day of the year, but Cyber Monday may soon take the title and change the holiday shopping tradition. This Cyber Monday is expected to see a record number of shoppers, and experts predict that more money will be spent during this online shopping day than ever before, according to Fortune .
The National Retail Federation says that more than 164 million people will go shopping over Thanksgiving weekend, with most of them doing their buying on Black Friday.
However, e-tailers are changing all of that. In 2015, more people shopped online on Black Friday than they did in stores for the first time. In 2018, 37 percent of shoppers questioned in a Reuters /Ipsos poll said they plan to do all of their holiday shopping online. Meanwhile, only 16 percent of people in the same poll said they would be shopping in physical stores for their holiday gifts.
Reporters on the ground at a Michigan mall found that many shoppers now see Cyber Monday as the better shopping holiday, according to WLNS . However, shoppers who plan to go out on Black Friday should still expect large crowds.
The term “Cyber Monday” was coined by National Retail Federation senior Vice President Ellen Page in 2005, according to Metro .
Cyber Monday has become increasingly popular, with many online retailers offering up huge discounts for the shopping day.
In 2017, buyers spent $6.59 billion on Cyber Monday, a number that is predicted to rise in 2018. In 2015, Cyber Monday sales totaled $2.98 billion, which shows huge growth for the day.
With record numbers of Cyber Monday shoppers expected this year, Black Friday could fall behind as the number two shopping day of the year for the first time.
Cyber Monday is appealing to consumers because it eliminates lines, crowds, travel, and even getting dressed. Shoppers can sit at home with their smartphones, tablets, and devices to get all the items on their holiday gift-giving list, rather than braving stores on Black Friday.
Historically, Black Friday has always contained an element of danger where assault and injury is always possible. In previous years, consumers have been stabbed and otherwise harmed while perusing for the best shopping deals.
Amazon will be offering up tons of discounts on items throughout Cyber Monday. Other big retailers, like Walmart and Target, will also be participating in Cyber Monday with deals offered through their websites.
Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving.