Shopping
What is Cyber Monday? When did Cyber Monday originate?
The term, and occasion, Cyber Monday has become a very familiar one with those shoppers looking for specific offers after Thanksgiving.
Black Friday has become a part of American retail culture over the course of decades as shoppers gear up for the holiday season by taking advantage of the post-Thanksgiving deals. But in recent years, with the rapid growth of online shopping, the annual retail bonanza has spawned an online-only equivalent: Cyber Monday.
While Black Friday remains the day when excited shoppers flock to stores, Cyber Monday takes place the following week and is for some stores the last chance to grab online bargains before Christmas.
How did Cyber Monday start?
The term Cyber Monday is thought to have been coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation in a Shop.org press release. On 28 November 2005 she wrote a piece entitled: ‘Cyber Monday’ Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year’, which christened the day on which smaller retail website issued their own sales in the aftermath of Black Friday.
The Shop.org post claimed that, during 2005, “77% of online retailers said that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on ‘Cyber Monday’.”
Clearly the piece by Davis simply identified and gave a name to a practice that had been observable previously, but the invention of the term ‘Cyber Monday’ has allowed businesses to build hype around their annual online sales.
Get ready for Cyber Monday 2024
Records smashed on previous Cyber Mondays
Cyber Monday on 30 November 2020 had initially broken the record for the largest single day of online shopping in the United States, with $10.7 billion spent in a single day. While Black Friday remains the day when excited shoppers flock to stores, Cyber Monday takes place the following week and as sales continue in the run up to Christmas.
More than 197 million people shopped over Thanksgiving weekend in 2022, and last year sales are said to have reached $12.4 billion, $2.6B more than its Black Friday and smashing the record. 2024 is expected to be even bigger!
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.