Cyber Monday attributed to online shopping at work

Thanksgiving weekend officially kicks off the shopping season in the United States. This year, the National Retail Federation predicts that holiday retail sales will grow between 6% and 8% from 2021 despite inflation.

According to Adobe, last year, shoppers spent a total of $10.7 billion on Cyber ​​Monday, with many stocking up on electronics, toys and video games.

Online searches show that many people are wondering how Cyber ​​Monday got its first name. Some sites suggested it was related to shoppers using high-speed internet at work on the Monday after Thanksgiving, so the VERIFICATION team looked at the origins of the retail holiday.

Did Cyber ​​Monday start because people shop online while at work?

That’s right, Cyber ​​Monday kicks off because people shop online while at work the Monday after Thanksgiving.

In 2005, Ellen Davis, former senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the National Retail Federation (NRF), coined the term “Cyber ​​Monday” in a press release published published by NRF’s digital division, Shop.org.

In the press release, Davis writes that online retailers have set their sights on the Monday after Thanksgiving because they’ve noticed higher sales in the years leading up to 2005. She also wrote that consumers, many during business hours, are “supposed to come first”. online in bulk on Cyber ​​Monday,” attributed the increased shopping to workers having better quality internet access at the office.

“Experts believe the increase in web traffic could stem from the fact that consumers may have a faster or safer Internet connection at work and choose to shop there, or they can’t shop all Thanksgiving weekend,” Davis wrote.

A Shop.org survey conducted in 2005 found that more than 37% of consumers said they would use internet access at work to browse or buy gifts online during the holiday season, according to a news release. solstice. The survey also found that 51% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 and 49% of shoppers between the ages of 25 and 34 said they plan to shop online during business hours.

Michael Lisicky is a department store historian and author of 10 books that celebrate the legacy of America’s beloved bygone department stores. He told VERIFY many offices in 2005 had better high-speed internet connections than most people at home, so it was a little easier to shop online at work.

“A third of us are probably still using dials with AOL tones,” says Lisicky. “We’re not connected to what our business needs to run those new computer systems, and it’s a better way for people to get used to shopping online.”

Kristin McGrath, a shopping expert at BlackFriday.com, also attributes Cyber ​​Monday’s origins to people using high-speed internet at work.

“There used to be cases where Black Friday was an in-store holiday and Cyber ​​Monday was an online holiday. So if you’re not queuing on Thanksgiving night for your Black Friday deals at your store, Cyber ​​Monday will come from the comfort of your work computer,” McGrath tells WebMD. VERIFY.

She says times have changed since 2005, and Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday have almost turned into a giant shopping weekend, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. cause.

“A lot of people now have good internet connections at home… So it seems Black Friday is increasingly moving online. There’s not much of a difference between those two dates anymore, says McGrath.