Sign in Subscribe
Retail trade

Cyber Monday Sales Reach Record $1.2 Billion

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

On the year's biggest online shopping day, some U.S. retailers extended their Cyber Monday sales through the week as shoppers spent a projected $1.2 billion, with online shopping traffic up 43 percent from last year. Amazon touted "Cyber Monday Deals Week," while Walmart promoted "Cyber Week Online Specials" with new items added daily. Electronics were the most popular items, with sales up 26 percent from last year, led by flat-screen TVs and digital cameras.

Key Takeaways:

  • Online retailers extended Cyber Monday sales through the week, with Amazon promoting "Cyber Monday Deals Week" and Walmart offering "Cyber Week Online Specials."
  • Online shopping traffic was up 43 percent from last year, driven by increased demand for electronics, which saw sales increase by 26 percent.
  • Mobile users made up 7.7 percent of all online sales, up from 2.2 percent last year, with JCPenney.com, Apple.com, and Dell.com being the fastest-responding Web sites and Sears.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.com having the fastest mobile responses.
  • IBM Corp.'s Smarter Commerce initiative reported online sales were up 18 percent over Cyber Monday 2010.
  • Cyber Monday, created by the Shop.org division of the National Retail Federation in 2005, was on track to generate a record $1.2 billion, up from 2010's $1.03 billion, according to ComScore.
  • The industry has made significant progress in providing stable sites that can handle high demands, with Web performance expert Steve Tack noting that people only have so much patience before abandoning a slow-loading site.

Statistics:

  • $1.2 billion: Projected sales for Cyber Monday 2011 (ComScore)
  • $1.03 billion: Cyber Monday sales in 2010
  • 43 percent: Increase in online shopping traffic from last year
  • 26 percent: Increase in electronics sales from last year
  • 7.7 percent: Share of mobile users in online sales, up from 2.2 percent last year
  • 18 percent: Increase in online sales over Cyber Monday 2010 (IBM Corp.'s Smarter Commerce initiative)

Sources:

  • United Press International
  • Akamai Technologies Inc.
  • IBM Corp.
  • Coremetrics
  • National Retail Federation
  • ComScore
  • Steve Tack, chief technology officer, Compuware Corp.
  • USA Today
  • PriceGrabber.com
  • Walmart.com
  • Amazon.com
  • Montgomery Ward
  • Compuware Corp.

Read more