Closer to homeAmazon’s Chattanooga center logs in for Cyber Monday
NEW YORK – Cyber Monday is turning into Cyber Month.
Retailers rolled out discounts and free shipping deals on Cyber Monday, with millions of Americans expected to log on and shop on their work computers, laptops and tablets after the busy holiday shopping weekend.
But with retailers extending their online deals into “Cyber Week” and even “Cyber Month,” early reports indicated shopping was less robust online on Monday compared with prior years. As of 6 p.m. ET, online sales rose just 8.1 percent compared with last year, according to IBM Digital Analytics. The figures don’t take into account the many shoppers who plan to head online after work or in the evening. But a year ago, Cyber Monday sales jumped 20.6 percent, according to IBM.
It is still expected to be the biggest online shopping day again, as it has been each year since 2010. That is good news for retailers after a Thanksgiving weekend that saw fewer shoppers and lower spending than last year, according to some estimates. Mobile traffic, which includes smartphones and tablets, has accounted for about 38 percent of all online traffic, compared with 30 percent a year ago. Average order value was $131.66, flat with 2013.