12.01.09
After a tepid Black Friday, most retailers were estatic with early results from Cyber Monday. Online sales were expected to rise 6% to more than $900 million, a new single day record, according to comScore Inc. Online shoppers spent 11% more than they did a year ago, according to Coremetrics Inc., a web analytics company that tracks activity on the sites of more than 500 U.S. brands.
Meanwhile the National Retail Federation estimated that 96.5 million Americans shopped online Monday, up from 85 million in 2008.
But not all the news coming from Cyber Monday was good. The average size of each sales slip dipped nearly 14% from a year ago.
Fashion was in fashion yesterday, as online shoppers snapped up boots and accessories. No word on whether all that websurfing translated into higher cosmetics and toiletries sales.
One analyst found consumer attitudes on the upswing. According to a new Zogby Interactive poll, although 72% of adults say they either already consider themselves poor (20%) or can imagine becoming poor (52%), Americans can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Thirty-three percent of U.S. consumers expect their financial situation to improve a year from now and even more expect better times ahead. Fifty percent of Americans believe their personal financial situation will be better off five years from now, 18% think their situation will be about the same, and 20% believe they will be worse off financially five years from now.
That's all well and good, but for now, retailers would love to see consumers open up their pocketbooks in time for Holiday 2009.
Meanwhile the National Retail Federation estimated that 96.5 million Americans shopped online Monday, up from 85 million in 2008.
But not all the news coming from Cyber Monday was good. The average size of each sales slip dipped nearly 14% from a year ago.
Fashion was in fashion yesterday, as online shoppers snapped up boots and accessories. No word on whether all that websurfing translated into higher cosmetics and toiletries sales.
One analyst found consumer attitudes on the upswing. According to a new Zogby Interactive poll, although 72% of adults say they either already consider themselves poor (20%) or can imagine becoming poor (52%), Americans can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Thirty-three percent of U.S. consumers expect their financial situation to improve a year from now and even more expect better times ahead. Fifty percent of Americans believe their personal financial situation will be better off five years from now, 18% think their situation will be about the same, and 20% believe they will be worse off financially five years from now.
That's all well and good, but for now, retailers would love to see consumers open up their pocketbooks in time for Holiday 2009.