Cyber Monday is all about shopping!

Better yet – shopping ONLINE!

Who doesn’t like getting new stuff?

I certainly do!

And what better way to do it than from the comfort of your home. Cyber Monday is the younger sibling of Black Friday. (Minus all the chaos and destruction that come to your local malls every year.) Today we get a very early start on some Cyber Monday statistics and not just our holiday shopping.

  • Cyber Monday broke the online sales record with $9,4 billion in revenue in 2019.
  • Cyber Monday record-setting sales from 2018 amounted to a 19.3% increase from the previous year.
  • US shoppers spend a record-breaking $5 billion in 24 hours during Black Friday.
  • There were $3 billion in smartphone sales during the 2019 Cyber Monday.
  • Almost 90% of retailers offer some kind of Cyber Monday promotion.

Before we give you all the fun facts, let’s go over the main Cyber Monday facts.

When Is Cyber Monday 2020?

Cyber Monday stats indicate that the upcoming event will probably be the BIGGEST one yet, overtaking last year’s record-breaker that destroyed every sales record there is.

Due to the fact that Thanksgiving falls on a different day each year, all three holidays have varying dates.

We'll see how the Coronavirus pandemic will affect the upcoming shopping holidays. There are questions you can ask yourself if you need to be prepared for the impact of the pandemic on your eCommerce. There's a useful Coronavirus eCommerce checklist that can be very useful.

For now, things look like this:

This year Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 26!

Black Friday comes the very next day after Thanksgiving on Friday, November 27!

And after a cool-down period of a few days, Cyber Monday 2021 comes on November 30!

Now:

What Is Cyber Monday? A Brief History of a New Shopping Holiday Tradition

Cyber Monday is still considered a young shopping holiday, as it only dates back to 2005. It was conceived as a way to encourage people to do more online shopping. Additionally, it challenged the old school, brick-and-mortar way of shopping that Black Friday stands for.

Cyber Monday History by the Numbers:

  • 2005 – The National Retail Federation (NFR) coined the term “Cyber Monday” that would account for the online sales that come after Thanksgiving.
  • 2007 – With Cyber Monday sales reaching $846 million, Black Friday and Cyber Monday gained a lot more importance.
  • 2009 – After Walmart started offering five days of cyber sales, it started to be referred to as “Cyber Week.” These Cyber Monday trends continued the following year, with more and more retailers doing the same.
  • 2010 – Cyber Monday sales went over $1 billion for the first time.
  • 2011 – CNBC announced that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have merged into one long shopping event.
  • 2018 – Cyber Monday reached $6 billion in digital spending!
  • 2019 -  Cyber Monday hit the amazing $9.4 billion!

Holiday shopping has always been a part of American society. And Thanksgiving is just the opening act of the holiday season, which reaches its pinnacle on New Year’s Eve.

During the years, the line between Black Friday and Cyber Monday has blurred. With all vendors extending their offers, the two events, much like Voltron, merged into one enormous super event!

Fun fact: Cyber Monday got its name because back in the day, the internet was referred to as “cyberspace,” so it seemed fitting to call it this way.An even more interesting fact:

Why Monday and not, let’s say, Saturday?

Back in 2005, the internet was not as fast as it is today. So the majority of people did their online shopping from their offices and not their homes. And the first thing they did when they got to work on Monday was to, you guessed it:

SHOP!

As a result, the majority of digital sales during the early days of online shopping were done on Monday.

AMAZING Cyber Monday Stats and Facts

Let's get started, everyone. Brace yourselves!

1. Cyber Monday 2019 broke the online sales record with $9,4 billion in revenue.

Adobe analytics on Cyber Monday confirmed how important 2019 actually was. It broke all the online sales records and made the most amount of money. In a way, it confirmed how important online sales are in today’s world and pointed towards where it might be going next.

What’s more:

The full season from November 1 to November 26, 2019, witnessed a grand total of $50.1 billion in online sales, with each day individually adding more than $1 billion.

2. Shoppers from the US spend a record-breaking $5 billion in 24 hours during 2017 Black Friday.

Black Friday statistics show how important the 2017 event was. Online orders were rolling in at a record level, leaving malls and retailers slightly emptier. Some say that this event may have marked the end of traditional “doorbuster” sales that Black Friday is famous for.

Next:

3. 50% of shoppers say they prefer online shopping to the brick-and-mortar method.

  • Only 36% of shoppers prefer the old way of going to the store.
  • 44% of buyers go to a discount store.
  • 28% of people prefer going to department stores.

Apparently, fewer people prefer driving to the mall for their shopping. In fact, Cyber Monday statistics say that it was estimated that 122 million people shopped on Cyber Monday, as opposed to 121 million who did so on Black Friday.

4. Cyber Monday sales grew from $484 million in 2005 to $9,4 billion in 2019.

With each new year, Cyber Monday has expanded and added more dollars to the bank. Shoppers spent $484 million during the first Cyber Monday. The expenditure rose to more than $9 billion in just 14 years’ time, highlighting the steady growth of e-commerce.

Notable Cyber Monday revenue stats:

  • 2005: $484 million
  • 2010: $1.028 billion
  • 2016: $3.45 billion
  • 2017: $6.59 billion
  • 2018: $7.9 billion
  • 2019: $9,4 billion

5. £720 million were spent in the United Kingdom during Cyber Monday in 2017.

Cyber Monday is no longer just a US staple. People all over the world have joined in the Cyber Monday craze in recent years.

The UK is probably the most prominent country that has embraced Cyber Monday outside the US. Britain actually follows the American tradition and holds it on the same day as the US.

Check this out:

Cyber Monday 2017 was just as groundbreaking on the other side of the pond, raking in revenues of £720 million in sales. As a result, The Guardian referred to Cyber Monday as the busiest internet-shopping day of the year in Britain.

  • Canada adopted Cyber Monday in 2008 but had to adjust sales because many Canadians were already shopping in the USA.
  • Australia called its version, which started in 2012, Click Frenzy. Many websites crashed or went offline due to the overload of traffic that day.
  • New Zealand’s Belly Beyond retailer organized its own Cyber Monday sale on November 29, 2010, which lasted for five days.
  • India started on December 12, 2012, when Google India partnered with other e-commerce companies

6. Cyber Monday sales statistics reveal around 50% of orders came from mobile phones or tablets in 2019.

In 2018, purchases were done via a smartphone, tablet, or any kind of handheld device during the whole week accounted for 49% of the total sales.

However:

The total Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) dropped to 41.6% on Cyber Monday. Chances are that most people went back to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving and made their purchases via desktop computers.

So, the overall percentage for mobile GMV for the entire week went down.

Cyber Week 2018 GMV by Order Source:

  • Desktop 48%
  • Mobile 45%
  • Tablet 4%

Yup! As you can see – mobile is on the rise…

Now:

Cyber Monday by the Numbers

We like to provide our readers with the full picture. That's why we'll go back in time and see what happened on Cyber Monday 2018.

Here we go:

7. Cyber Monday record-setting sales from 2018 amounted to a 19.3% increase from the previous year.

Sure, we all know shopping online is a lot easier and faster than going to a physical store.

But there’s more to it than just that:

The recent economic upturn has also helped increase shopping traffic. Since unemployment rates have been at nearly record lows, consumers have a lot more confidence to shop. This is an important reason that contributed to setting a record at the 2018 Cyber Monday event.

Amazon also confirmed that Cyber Monday was their biggest shopping day in history. Actually, during the whole five-day event from Thanksgiving to Monday, Amazon Cyber Monday orders amounted to a massive 180 million.

8. There were $3 billion in smartphone sales during the 2019 Cyber Monday.

The increase of people ordering products via smartphones is only the latest trend to impact Cyber Monday. Mind you, it is a very important one, as retailers will most likely watch out for it. And the 2019 revenue might even surpass the $2.2 billion mark established the previous year, reaching $3 billion in 2019.

However, it’s just one in a long series of developments that gradually changed the face of Cyber Monday and online shopping.

Here are some other important and notable Cyber Monday statistics and trends:

9. Almost 90% of retailers offer some kind of Cyber Monday promotion.

Since shoppers are always looking for a bargain, it makes sense for retailers to come out with their best sales offers. Year after year, buyers are tempted by more and more lucrative Cyber Monday deals. More than 90% of vendors have a specific sales strategy prepared exclusively for this day.

Additionally:

  • 45% of retailers offer coupons or percentage discounts.
  • 1/3 of sellers come with a limited-time-only promotion.
  • Fewer than 15% offered a free gift that comes with a purchase.
  • 1/3 of retailers offered early free shipping.

What do the customers think about these deals?

  • More than 40% wanted to avoid the Black Friday crowd.
  • 1/3 liked being able to compare prices in peace.

10. US digital revenue growth for this holiday predicted a 13% rise for the 2019 season.

Predicted spending patterns suggested that the total sales last holiday season would reach an incredible revenue of $136 billion according to Salesforce. The suggested income greatly was greatly dependant on the Cyber Monday revenue in 2019, which broke another record selling by far the most amount of goods than ever before.

  • Global digital revenue growth is predicted to be 15% (YoY).
  • Global digital sales revenue is expected to amount to $768 billion.   

11. The 2018 Cyber Monday event was Amazon’s biggest shopping day ever.

Amazon broke its shopping records during last year’s Cyber Monday event. However, while Amazon was reluctant to provide exact numbers, it did reveal that a total of 180 million items were ordered. Amazon Cyber Monday 2018 deals were the main reason for breaking the record.

The previous achievement was held by the 2018 Prime Day sale, which lasted for 36 hours when 100 million items were ordered via Amazon.

  • The Echo Dot was the prime selling product globally.
  •  Online spending in the USA hit greater heights on Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day altogether.
  • Online sales for Black Friday increased by 23.6%

And here’s the really good news:

12. Better Black Friday deals are predicted for the 2020 event.

Forbes predicts that the upcoming 2020event will be another record-setting one. With sales amounting to $9 billion last year, assumptions are that the revenue will easily go past this figure.

How come?

The answer is:

BETTER DEALS!

Boom!

Forbes says that the best Black Friday deals will be mind-blowing simply by looking at the current Walmart offers.

You can expect the following tasty discounts, among others:

  • $519.99 HP Laptop 15t.
  • $199.95 Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones.
  • $229.99 Apple 10.2-inch iPad, 32GB.
  • $699 for iPhone 11.
  • $349 for Xbox One X – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Walmart has been notoriously precise when opening its stores for Black Friday sales. Even though some stores open earlier, Walmart does so exactly at 6 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Expect the same thing to happen this year.

Cyber Monday Security

Online shopping security is an issue nowadays.

How safe is it to shop online in 2020?

There are best practices that each of us can perform in order to protect ourselves.

It is more than understandable that so many deals during Cyber Monday can cloud one's judgment. We get so eager to click on a discounted item that we often forget about security. Cyber Monday and Black Friday represent an opportunity not just for retailers to get rich but also for cybercriminals.

They see this as a perfect opportunity to rid us of our hard-earned cash. Out judgment may be impaired during that period but we still have to be cautious.

Consider these safety measures:

  • Make sure your browser is up to date!
  • Look for HTTPS!
  • Revise the privacy policy of a website!
  • Learn how to spot phishing attempts!
  • Create a strong password!
  • Use a VPN on public WiFi!

There you go! Now when you are nice and secure it is time to bring our story to a close.

Black Friday vs Cyber Monday Statistics

Although Black Friday is the older of the two, both shopping holidays have converged into one massive event.

To recap:

Black Friday has its origin in retail, and Cyber Monday is the online answer to it! The idea was to hit the stores on Friday and then go online on Monday.

However, Black Friday today is an online event as much as it is a brick-and-mortar one. But you can’t say the same about Cyber Monday.

According to the Black Friday statistics from last year, the total revenue was at a record-setting $6.2 billion.

However, the fact that Cyber Monday made more than $7 billion shows us which of the two is more popular.

Which Event Has Better Deals and Offers?

Cyber Week is all about getting the best deal for your shopping pleasure!

But the question is:

Which one has better deals? Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

The answer is not as straightforward as you might think.

Basically, it depends on the retailer and what you’re after. On the one hand, the most recent Black Friday facts and statistics suggest brick-and-mortar stores are willing to go to great lengths to break even or even sell goods at a loss as long as they see you in their shops.

On the other hand, modern shoppers prefer to avoid the hassle and hopefully not get a black eye while buying goods. So, most of them will risk spending a few extra bucks if they don’t have to be pushed around by frenzied crowds.

How Can I Get the Best Deals?

When searching for Cyber Monday’s best deals, there are a few things you need to consider.

Firstly, Cyber Monday deals are not necessarily going to be better than Black Friday ones. If you decide to miss out on a purchase on Friday because you’re hoping it would be cheaper on Monday, you might end up getting the short end of the stick.

Secondly, deals start early, so it is best to be prepared!

Finally, electronic equipment is always the Holy Grail for most shoppers. For instance, Cyber Monday iPhone deals for 2018 were extraordinary. Since Apple is coming out with new products this year, retailers have a bunch of older but still good ones in their inventory. (Check out the latest Apple statistics, guys. It’s worth it!)

They will look to dump them all at slashed prices. The same thing goes for consoles like PS4 and Xbox One.

Last year you could get a GoPro for as little as $50 while an iPad was offered at $229.

THAT’S INSANE!

What to Expect on Cyber Monday 2020?

As every year, expectations are going to be high for Cyber Monday 2020. Year in and year out, records are being broken as vendors try to one-up each other with all the discounts they are offering. The 2020 Cyber Monday is not going to be any different. We expect discount galore!

The most obvious thing to expect is that the total revenue mark is going to break the $10 billion and go beyond. Records were set during the past two years so it is obvious that the upcoming one takes another step further. Also, Amazon has been the prime vendor during the past two seasons. Amazon Prime Day is the biggest cash day for them. Amazon Prime Day 2020 is sure to set a new record in terms of sales for them. When is Amazon Prime Day 2020?

It’s July 13. Save the date!

People are most likely going to be on the technology hunt. Each year there is a big sale when it comes to technology. The 2020 season will most likely see a large number of MacBook Pros being moved as well and gaming consoles like the new PlayStation and Xbox. And let’s not forget the newest Google Stadia which was released this year and will most likely be one of the prime time sales targets for most shoppers. Basically, bigger and better and more is what the predictions for Cyber Monday 2020 are!

What Store Has the Best Cyber Monday Deals?

As far as particular stores go, many of them offer substantial discounts. Most of them go as high as some items being 30% off. Historically, Amazon has been the store that has offered the best possible deals to their shoppers. They are expected to offer the same type of a bargain for the upcoming 2020 event.

Stores with Best Cyber Monday Deals:

  • Amazon
  • Walmart
  • Target
  • Dell
  • eBay
  • Home Depot
  • Samsonite
  • Reebok
  • Levi's
  • Nautica

If you happen to be looking for the best Cyber Monday deals, make sure to check out these places.

But not so fast, there is the question of security as well. One should always be safe when shopping online.

Key Takeaways

Time to get serious and double down on your early holiday shopping. Cyber Monday dips into December this year, which means buyers will only have 23 shopping days until Christmas.

Now you know how HUGE last year’s Cyber Monday was.

And what’s even better:

Cyber Monday revenue from 2018 is sure to be beaten this year!

Wait and see!

Now:

Key Takeaways for Buyers:

  • Cyber Monday allows a stress-free shopping environment.
  • No pushing around and getting into a scuffle because of an item.
  • Get your Christmas shopping done early.
  • Find the best deals for your shopping pleasure.

And…

Key Takeaways for Retailers:

  • Vendors can empty out their storage.
  • Online shopping is the future of holiday shopping.
  • Adding special offers on shipping and pre-orders.
  • Electronic devices are the prime goal for shoppers.

There you have it, folks, the tastiest and juiciest Cyber Monday statistics to help you prepare for the upcoming shopping spree.

Enjoy, and we’ll see you on the Cybernet!