Cyber Monday Sales Up 28 Percent

Reports are that sales during Cyber Monday were up over 28 percent over last year. This is in spite of taxes imposed by some states for online sales, done in part to encourage buyers to go out to retail locations that have seen their revenue diminish over the past several years.

“It doesn’t look like they’re having a lot of negative impact,” said professor Dale Achabal, executive director of Santa Clara University’s Retail Management Institute. “What we’re seeing is a shift in the way consumers are shopping, with a greater use of online for a significant percentage of their holiday purchases.

IBM Smarter Commerce tracked a 28.4 percent increase in Cyber Monday sales and research firm comScore believes that sales would reach $1.5 billion. This comes after a Black Friday weekend where 247 million shoppers spend $59.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

“Consumers today are sitting at their desks at work with their credit cards out and clicking away and buying . . . or curling up on the couch and doing a little couch commerce,” said Jay Henderson, strategy director of IBM Smarter Commerce.

Deloitte & Touche surveyed Cyber Monday customers in Southern California and found a 3 percent increase in buyers who planned to shop online Monday, or 26 percent of all consumers. “It’s similar to national trends,” said Ellen Basilico, a partner with Deloitte’s San Francisco office. “We do know that consumers are more accustomed to Cyber Monday promotions and retailers are also better at driving more urgency and creating some uncertainty whether those deals will be there later in the season.”

Alan Ross plans to spend $1,200 to $1,700 shopping online for Christmas presents for his wife, Terri, their two kids and other family members despite higher costs with sales taxes. “It won’t deter me at all one bit,” Ross said of the new tax policy. “I’m not a mall guy and I don’t like the hassle of the crowds. This works out perfectly for guys like me.”