Down 1.4% from last year. (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/30/cyber-monday-online-sales-drop-1point4percent-from-last-year-to-10point7-billion-falling-for-the-first-time-ever.html)
Black Friday didn't do as well, either. OTOH, headlines say that Amz's BF was a record.
Our sales were up pretty significantly and we were running a much worse promo than last year. Both on BF and CM.
Debbie says a few now-dominant online sites may have cannibalized both other lesser online sites as well as the bricks this year.
Also, there are signs that heavy consumer debt may be skewing the usual buying patterns. Some are waiting for "buy now, pay later" sales.
There is also the ongoing supply chain issues. I'm out about a third of my inventory atm.
>>buy now, pay later
We have seen a huge uptick in BNPL payment services like Klarna, Quadpay, Afterpay, etc. this year. There are a number of factors in play there. People kicking the can down the road is one but it also allows people who can't normally get a credit card a chance to participate in ecommerce. The userbase also skews much, much younger than standard credit card users.
PayPal says 'buy now, pay later' volumes surged 400% on Black Friday
I wonder if the prevalence of "Black Friday sneak preview" types of sales undercut spending on the actual day.
I bought several items in the days leading up to BF/CM.
>>prevalence of "Black Friday sneak preview" types of sales undercut spending on the actual day
Everyone was trying to get ahead of the curve this year. Merchants didn't want to get into December and scramble to make sure everyone got their packages in time with all the shipping and supply chain delays. We went super promo heavy in October this year compared to previous years and much, much lighter on promos once we got into November and December.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: US Consumer watchdog takes aim at buy now, pay later programs
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/16/consumer-watchdog-takes-aim-at-buy-now-pay-later-programs.html
>We have seen a huge uptick in BNPL payment services like Klarna, Quadpay, Afterpay, etc. this year.
"In 2021, Americans spent more than $20 billion through buy now, pay later services, an ever-increasing chunk of the $870 billion-a-year online shopping pie."
'Buy now, pay later' sends TikTok generation spiraling into debt
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/influencers-lead-Gen-Z-into-debt-17142294.php
Klarna to lay off 10% of its workforce as souring economy hits buy now, pay later space
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/23/klarna-to-lay-off-10percent-of-its-workforce-.html