Cyber Monday Beats out Black Friday as the Most Popular Shopping Holiday

Staff Report

Tuesday, November 29th, 2016

Cyber Monday takes over as the top shopping holidayof the year in popularity, according to a recent online survey conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs on behalf of Offers.com. Over nine in ten (94%) Americans are shopping online, while mobile holiday shopping is up over 43% from 2014 (44% vs. 63% who plan to use their mobile in 2016).

"Consumers realize that fighting the crowds for doorbuster deals isn't worth it anymore. With the convenience of online shopping, shoppers are able to purchase just about anything they can imagine from the comfort of their own home and score the same deals or even better as they would in-store," said Offers.com General Manager Howard Schaffer. "Our data also shows some interesting trends when it comes to shopping both online and on mobile this holiday season."

Top Items Consumers are Buying this Holiday Season

1.     Clothing
2.     Electronics
3.     Gift Cards
4.     Toys
5.     Video Games & Equipment

See the top gifts to buy this holiday season.

Top Consumer Brands & Stores

1.     Amazon
2.     Walmart
3.     Target
4.     Kohl's
5.     Best Buy

See the top stores to shop this holiday season.

Holiday Coupon Usage

89% of those surveyed search for deals or coupons online when holiday shopping

When shopping for the Christmas season, how often do you search online for coupons, deals, coupon codes or sales before making a purchase?

  • Every time –17%

  • Most of the time – 27%

  • Sometimes – 30%

  • Rarely – 15%

  • Never – 8%

  • I do not celebrate the Christmas holiday – 3%

Consumer Spending

How much do you plan to spend on gifts for friends and family this holiday season?

  • Between $1 and $400 – 45%

  • Between $401 and $800 – 25%

  • Between $801 and $1,200 – 13%

  • Over $1,200 – 8%

  • I don't plan to spend any money on gifts this holiday season – 9%

Black Friday Shopping Trends

20% more people are planning to shop this Black Friday compared to those who said the same thing last year (55% in 2015 vs 66% in 2016).

  • Online– 36%

  • In-Store– 36%

  • Mobile Device– 11%

  • Social Media– 3%

  • Not Shopping– 34%

Cyber Monday Shopping Trends

Cyber Monday is the most popular shopping holiday this year with 69% (Up from 54% in 2015) of those surveyed saying they will shop.

  • Online– 54%

  • In-Store– 12%

  • Mobile Device– 14%

  • Social Media– 3%

  • Not Shopping– 31%

Online Shopping Trends

More than nine in ten (94%) consumers over the age of 18 are making purchases online.

  • Over half of those surveyed (57%) make at least one online purchase a month, a trend that has remained consistent from 2015.

  • Online shopping (36%) ties with in-store shopping (36%) when it comes to where consumers are planning to shop on Black Friday.

  • Cyber Monday is dominated by online shoppers with 54% of those surveyed saying they plan to shop online (versus 12% who say they plan to shop in-store).

Mobile Shopping Trends

Compared to last year's results, consumers are more likely to use their mobile devices when holiday shopping; a trend that is up 12.5% this year and up 43% from 2014.

  • This year, 63% of people surveyed plan on using their mobile devices compared to 56% in 2015 and 44% in 2014.

  • More than one-third (35%) of Americans will use their mobile phones to look for coupons and deals when holiday shopping, and also to compare products at different stores (34%).

  • Another 32% will check out product reviews, while similar proportions further say they will use their phone to actually make purchases (32%).

  • Millennials continue to stand out here, being most likely to say that they plan to use their mobile device when shopping this holiday season (86%, ages 18-34 vs. 53%, 35+).

Millennial Marketing Trends

Millennials are found to be more likely to search for deals before making purchases and more likely to be shopping this holiday season.

  • Millennials are 2x more likely to shop on Black Friday (85% vs 43%, ages 35+), a trend that is up 7.5% from 2015.

  • 86% of millennials will use a mobile device for holiday shopping, up 2.4% from 2015.

  • 84% of millennials plan to shop on Cyber Monday versus 62% of their older counterparts.