What is social networking really for? Well, networking, of course. The digital version of word-of-mouth is what brands are after, however, as personal recommendations come in the form of Twitter status updates, Facebook wall posts and bookmarked web clippings. Social networking has become a conduit for sharing information we feel is important, hoping that others will feel the same.

Brands looked to this growing capacity of social networking for Black Friday in particular, as both social networking and social media marketing have reached the point of mutual acceptance. That means that brands are looking to social networks as relatively inexpensive ways in which they can leverage the act of the personal recommendation, utilizing individuals as authorities to promote their products.

As Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, getting everyone into the right spirit is a huge commercial task. Sales help towards that end goal of increasing end-of-year sales, but the combination of online word-of-mouth marketing and growing options for online shopping means that Black Friday is becoming a major point of interest for brands.

The expectations surrounding brand marketing for Black Friday 2009 were considerably higher than what we’ve seen in previous years. after last year’s holiday push for virtual goods on networks such as Facebook, many brands are recognizing the potential of social networks for spreading the word about various products and discounted prices.

So how did brands fare this year? Mobile payments increased, which is good for those brands that have a heavy focus on virtual goods and mobile shopping initiatives. Cyber Monday already looks to be more effective for retailers than Black Friday, indicating that online activity is a great conduit for marketing as well.

However, it is difficult to immediately recognize the affect social media marketing has on holiday shopping. This is largely due to the fact that social media marketing has more to do with instilling brand recognition and long term consumer engagement. That makes things like sales easier to measure, but immediate effect more difficult to calculate.

So far surveys have been a useful way to guage consumer attitudes surrounding holiday shopping, for both offline and online initiatives. a recent post on ABC’s news website requests anecdotes from readers sharing their own social networking experience towards holiday shopping, suggesting that the interest in acknowledging any social media influence on our consumer behavior.

Blame it in part on the economy–we’ve seen some major shifts in marketing efforts after the market’s downfall. many companies are looking for cheaper ways in which to accomplish the things they were already doing, including marketing and advertising. That necessity has carried over to social networks, as brands need new ways to disseminate information and consumers need more effective ways of accessing and receiving that information.

Whatever the long-term effects are from this year’s holiday shopping initiatives for social network advertising, we at least know that it will continue to manifest in next year’s efforts as well. The ongoing increase in activity around this will play out in improved ways for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2010, and we will likely see a bigger jump (especially in the mobile realm) between current activity and next year’s.

• 2009/03/24 — Facebook as a Traffic Booster
• 2009/11/30 — Cyber Monday 2009 Survey: Customers Prefer to Shop Online
• 2009/08/22 — Can Advertising keep Up With the new and different?
• 2009/08/05 — Social Media off Limits to US Marines? not so Much
• 2009/06/04 — Social Media and Society Decline
• 2009/03/31 — Social Media Is Cheap and Other Illusions
• 2009/03/27 — Social ER Overrun! – State of the Web 2009

Let the discounting begin.

Bargain-hunting shoppers turned out in droves for Black Friday markdowns, but they didn’t open their pocketbooks as widely as last year, according to several retail firms tracking the data. As a result, retailers are only cautiously optimistic heading into the mainstream holiday season, including today’s Cyber Monday, and experts believe that many stores will likely have to revamp promotions and discounting plans to ensure that inventories will be cleared by Christmas. (See pictures of people shopping on Black Friday.)

Already, retailers are moving aggressively. On Cyber Monday HP was offering a 15.6-in. laptop for $299.99, BestBuy.com was touting a 22-in. Toshiba LCD TV for $279.99 with free shipping and Walmart was hawking a Nintendo Wii “Value Bundle,” including the console and several games, for $249.

The lessons from Black Friday are already sinking in. Shoppers showed that “they’re thriftier, they’re savvier and every one of them wants to be the best bargain hunter out there,” said John Squire, chief strategy officer for Coremetrics, a Web marketing firm, in a statement.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that 195 million people visited stores and websites over the Black Friday holiday weekend, up from 172 million last year. however, shoppers spent less, with average spending dipping 8%, to $343.31 a person from $372.57 a year earlier. Total spending over the holiday kickoff weekend reached $41.2 billion, up only slightly from $41 billion a year ago.

Ellen Davis, an NRF vice president, says shoppers were intensely focused on staying within budget. “Shoppers were looking for deals on lower-priced items — such as $10 toys and $9 books, not $1,000 flat-screen TVs,” said Davis during a conference call on Sunday.

“They charged in and bought the door busters, and when the door busters were out, it was over,” says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail consulting and investment banking firm. “By 1 o’clock, there was no more Black Friday — it was over.”

Scott Krugman, an NRF vice president, sees Black Friday as a barometer for consumer sentiment but says it’s not a slam dunk for how the rest of the holiday season will go. last year, for example, shoppers spent 7% more over the Black Friday weekend than they did the year before. Yet holiday sales ultimately fell 3.4%, he notes. (See TIME’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide.)

“Shopper traffic well surpassed our expectations,” says Krugman. however, the dip in spending left him cautious, and he continues to project a 1% sales decline for the total holiday season.

“We still have double-digit unemployment, we still have trouble in the housing market and consumers are still very cautious,” says Krugman. “Retailers are still going to have their work cut out for them in terms of keeping the momentum going.”

On Black Friday alone, preliminary figures indicate that sales rose a modest 0.5%, to $10.66 billion from $10.6 billion a year ago, according to ShopperTrak, a research firm that tracks activity at more than 50,000 retail outlets. Sales fluctuated by region, with the West scoring the biggest increase at 4.7%. this was followed by the Midwest, where sales rose 1.3%, and the South, which posted a 0.6% gain. the Northeast took the biggest hit, with sales tumbling 4.9%. ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin reiterated his earlier projection of a 1.6% sales increase for 2009’s holiday season.

Online sales fared considerably better this past weekend. ComScore, a digital research firm, estimates that cyber sales on Black Friday totaled $595 million, making it the second heaviest online spending day so far in 2009 and up 11% from Black Friday 2008. PayPal said it saw 20% more transactions this Black Friday than last year’s and a 140% spike in the number of people making payments by mobile phone. the mobile-phone transaction increase indicates that buyers shopping at brick-and-mortar sites were likely price-checking items with their mobile phones and then purchasing the item where they found it the cheapest.

Coremetrics reports that consumers spent 35% more per online order on Black Friday than they did a year ago, with the average shopper purchasing 18% more items per order than they did last year.

Even QVC, which sells merchandise on its shopping channel and website, reported more than 765,000 orders totaling $32 million in sales on Black Friday — the highest level in the company’s 23-year history and 60% more than last year’s Black Friday sales.

“Online sales clearly did better, but that’s only 4% of total retail sales,” says Davidowitz.

Overall, Black Friday weekend sales indicated consumers’ mood and the direction of their spending, says Jaffe. clearly, shoppers “are deeply focused on price and more thoughtful in their spending.” (Read a brief history of Black Friday.)

Davidowitz speculates that the frugal tone will pressure retailers to discount earlier and possibly deeper than originally planned over the next few weeks. “I think many of them will reassess their numbers and determine that more promotions are in order,” says Davidowitz. “That will be particularly true in department stores,” where women’s apparel has been weak, he says.

Black Friday’s business has left Davidowitz bearish on retailers’ prospects this holiday season. “I expect total holiday sales will be down 1% to 2% — going against last year, which was the worst Christmas in 40 years.”

Davidowitz doesn’t believe discounting will reach last year’s 80% levels, mainly because most retailers ordered up to 20% less inventory this year. “They won’t be as panicked or as big,” he says. the 70% discounts will likely be offered on select items rather than store-wide, as they were last year.

Marshall Cohen, chief retail analyst at NPD Group, sees the Black Friday glass as half-full rather than half-empty. “The fact that retailers were able to sell as much, if not more, product at a 40% discount, compared with last year’s 75% storewide discount, was positive,” says Cohen.

“We’re not looking at an auspicious start or negative perception in the consumer psyche” after seeing Black Friday’s heavy traffic, he says. “But the biggest question is, Will they have the momentum to keep this going?”

Read “Holiday Shopping: this Year It’s a Game of Chicken.”

See more things to do on Black Friday.

Sales on one of America’s busiest shopping days, Black Friday, were marginally ahead of 2008, but shoppers steered clear of higher priced items to hunt out bargains.

US shoppers moved away from full price merchandise and luxury items on Friday, which fell the day after the Thanksgiving and is the day consumers traditionally storm the shops. 195m shoppers visited stores and went online, up from 172m in 2008.

The average spend, at $343.31 per person for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, was substantially down from last year’s $372.57, indicating a desire for discounted and cut-price stock, according to analysts.

Total spend over the weekend was 0.5% higher than last year, at $41.2bn.

Hardest hit by price-conscious shoppers were the luxury retailers, which failed to capitalise on the increased footfall, according to industry observers.

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the pajamas and sleepwear store, SleepyHeads.com (sleepyheads.com), has just announced a 40% discount on all SleepyHeads and Frankie and Johnny products on Black Friday. the Black Friday offer will be running only on November 27, 2009. using the promo code, ‘FJ40 or SH40′. Sleepyheads.com is also offering a 30% store wide discount applicable only on Black Friday with the promotion code ‘BLACKFRIDAY’. Only one coupon may be used per order.

Other Black Friday discounts offered by SleepyHeads.com include 40% off on Lug and hello Kitty sleepwear line and Frankie & Johnny cosmetic bags at $5, ‘Free Robe’ offer with a purchase of $75 and above will run through November 30, 2009 and can be availed by using the promo code ‘FREEROBE’. Only one coupon can be used per purchase. all other Black Friday deals can be viewed at: sleepyheads.com/blackfriday/.

SleepyHeads.com presents a wide range of sleepwear products, such as pajamas, dressing gowns and lingerie, all at competitive prices. Frankie & Johnny is an in-house brand that presents throwback designs to create nostalgic pajamas inspired by Nick & Nora pajamas. Frankie and Johnny Pajamas lines can be reached at: sleepyheads.com/Browse_by_Brand/Frankie_and_Johnny_Pajamas_and_Robes.

“We’re very excited to be able to offer 40% off on Frankie & Johnny pajamas and SleepyHeads sleepwear,” says Ms. Jennifer Briscoe, representative of SleepyHeads.com, “as not only are they great pajamas, but are perfect Christmas gifts! Frankie & Johnny pajamas come in flannel and cotton and in many styles and prints.”

Sleepyheads pajamas are a new brand exclusive to SleepyHeads.com, and are designed with family in mind. Sleepyheads have a line of matching family pajamas, holiday pjs, Christmas pajamas with seasonal holiday designs. Browse through the SleepyHeads loungewear collection at: sleepyheads.com/Browse_by_Brand/Sleepyheads_Pajamas_and_Loungewear.

“Sleepyheads pajamas is our own pajama line, devoted to making great family pajamas that are not too expensive in today’s economic climate. Sleepyheads pajamas make great Christmas gifts, and with the 40% discount on Black Friday, there’s never been a better time to get your hands on some great value pjs.” stated Ms. Briscoe, “and if your feeling extra Christmassy, then matching pajamas for the whole family might be right up your alley. With matching family pajamas, you can participate in the Family Matching Pajamas Photo Contest going on at SleepyHeads.com!”

More Christmas items are scheduled to be added to the gift lines at SleepyHeads.com in the run up to Christmas. to view current inventory of holiday and Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, visit: sleepyheads.com/Holiday_Gifts.

“If you are searching for that perfect gift for a loved one, then search no more, as SleepyHeads has exactly what you are looking for! Frankie & Johnny and Sleepyheads pajamas make great Christmas gifts, and you can get something for everyone at the same time with a line of matching family pajamas.” said Ms. Briscoe, “Not only that, but we also have a store wide 30% discount on Black Friday! so, make it a very merry Christmas this year, with SleepyHeads!”

The special Black Friday 40% off discount on Frankie and Johnny and SleepyHeads pajamas can be availed only on Black Friday, November 27, 2009.

About SleepyHeads.com
SleepyHeads.com is a leading retailer of pajamas, sleepwear & lingerie featuring quality loungewear brands & designer labels. the SleepyHeads.com online store provides pajamas, lingerie, women’s pajamas, slippers, robes, men’s pajamas, matching family pajamas, etc.

SleepyHeads.com carried many popular brands that are often featured on TV: the Today show, the Morning show, & Extra. SleepyHeads.com products have also been featured in magazines such as Woman’s World & Oprah.

For Information, contact:
Jennifer Briscoe
1840 Airport Exchange Blvd. #130
Erlanger, KY
Phone: 1-866-638-2172
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: SleepyHeads.com/
Blog: blog.sleepyheads.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/sleepyheads01

This Monday after Thanksgiving is yet another in a series of important shopping days prior to Christmas. It’s Cyber Monday – a day when so many Missourians and other Americans go online to look for gifts they learned – over the Thanksgiving weekend – that their loved ones hope to receive.

Missouri Retailers Association President David Overfelt says online sales are an important part of a retailer’s overall sales figures.

“All brick and mortar stores, regardless of size, should really consider creating a site and promoting themselves and actually making sales through online retail,” said Overfelt in an interview with the Missourinet.

The concept of Cyber Monday was born several years ago.

“A few years ago, a number of retailers that had brick and mortar and online stores started to notice an uptick in traffic on their online sites on this Monday,” said Overfelt. “It developed into what we call Cyber Monday. Although it is not the biggest online sale day of the year it does kind of mark the season for increased traffic on online retail sites.”

While some shoppers prefer to shop in person, time constraints and other factors lead a lot of us to do our shopping from the comfort of home or work.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Topic: Cyber Monday 2009Posted on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

• Buy Nintendo Wii on Amazon.com.

Sponsored Links Related Stories Cyber Monday 2009

This is the first holiday shopping season that has no Wii supply issue in the United States. this year the price of the Wii dropped to $199 and we actually have seen the Wii sell as low as $169.99.
It is no surprise that the Wii is to be found on the top spots of Black Friday sales charts.
Retail Decisions (ReD) a card payment processing company has published their analyses of the Black Friday sales activity. According to their numbers Black Friday 2009 online retail sales have reached $3 billion, up on last year by 52%.

This number supports that Black Friday is more and more also becoming a Cyber Friday.
In addition ReD has identified the top 10 performing consumer products in online sales as follows:

1. TomTom GPS Navigation system
2. Kodak Digital Camera
3. Nintendo Wii
4. Ice Age 3
5. Sony Digital Camera
6. Sansui 19″ LCD TV
7. Sony Bravia LCD TV
8. Ginii Digital Photo Frame
9. Playstation 3 120GB
10. Samsung Digital Camera

Online price comparison site PriceGrabber also published what they saw as the top 10 most popular products for Black Friday 2009:

1. Wii Console
2. nuvi 265WT GPS
3. Apple iPod touch 8GB
4. D90 SLR Digital Camera Kit
5. Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Black Digital SLR Camera w/ Kit
6. nuvi 765T GPS
7. Wii Fit
8. Apple iPod touch 16GB
9. nuvi 255W Wide-Screen Automotive GPS
10. Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokemon Pack

The Wii can be found in both lists under the top 3.

Black Friday is behind us now and Cyber Monday Sales have already started. Find more Cyber Monday Deals in our ongoing Holiday Sales coverage.
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Related TopicsBlack Black Friday Black Friday 2009 GPS Sale Top 10 Wii

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Posted on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

All the hope and hype that went into Black Friday preparations this year didn’t give us much. Year-over-year, retail sales grew only 0.5%, from $10.61 billion to $10.66 billion, according to ShopperTrak. this follows a 3% gain last year, when the world was gripped by the panic triggered by the global financial crisis. in 2007, the situation was much better, with Black Friday sales leaping 8.3%.

The slight gain this year came even with the extra efforts retailers made, which included, in some cases, opening on Thanksgiving Day and making an extra push via social media. these measures effectively helped retailers tread water.

Worries about the momentum from Black Friday fading through the holiday season are even tougher, now that we know there isn’t much momentum on which to rely. Shopper traffic was heavy this year, according to ShopperTrak, which led to much of the early optimism. But, the lookers weren’t converting at the rates retailers had hoped.

The action came online this year, even ahead of Cyber Monday. Internet shopping increased 35%, with the average order reaching $170.19, according to online retail analytics company Coremetrics.

Despite the difficult results last week, ShopperTrak is maintaining its holiday season growth estimate of 1.6%, with co-founder bill Martin saying in a company statement that the forecast “remains intact.”

Black Friday Crowds Grab Discounted Flat-Panel TVs, Computers

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) — Retailers reported “strong”shopper traffic on Black Friday as discounts on televisions,toys and computers drew budget-conscious crowds across the U.S.,the National Retail Federation said.

High-definition TVs, laptops, Zhu Zhu Pets robotic hamstersand winter coats were among the most popular items, according tothe federation, a Washington-based trade group. Sales advanced0.5 percent to $10.7 billion, ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago-based research firm, said yesterday in a statement.

Wal-Mart Stores inc., the world’s largest retailer, drewcrowds with $298 Hewlett-Packard laptop computers and otherspecials that went on sale at 5 a.m. best buy inc., the biggestelectronics chain, used $547.99 42-inch Samsung flat-panel TVsto lure shoppers grappling with the highest unemployment in 26years. the retailer had bigger early-morning crowds than lastyear, Chief Executive Officer Brian Dunn said.

“The surprise news is that they are actually buying forthemselves as well, due to pent-up demand and frugal fatigue,”Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with NPD Group inc. saidin a Bloomberg Television interview Nov. 27. “They are saying‘Let’s loosen up the purse strings a little bit,’ but it isstill cautious spending.” NPD, based in Port Washington, NewYork, is a market research firm.

Holiday Shopping Prediction

The day after U.S. Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday,the traditional beginning of holiday buying. Explanations of thephrase’s origins differ, one holding that it’s the weekend whenretailers go to being in the black, profitable for the year.Stores open early on Black Friday and offer early-bird discountsto attract business.

A 4.9 percent sales decrease in the northeast counteredgains in other regions, according to ShopperTrak. Consumertraffic was heavy throughout the country, the research firm,which plans to release store-visit figures in the next few days.

“We’ve seen a gradual retail sales increase over the lasttwo weeks and with Black Friday’s performance, it looks likeNovember will be a positive month for retailers,” Bill Martin,a ShopperTrak co-founder, said in the statement. “The 1.6percent increase we originally predicted for the holiday seasonremains intact.”

Retailers’ chief marketing officers predicted Black Fridaysales would climb an average 1.8 percent from a year ago attheir own stores, according to a survey conducted by BDO SeidmanLLP in October. Ninety-six of 100 executives said they wouldincrease promotions this year, offering the biggest discounts onconsumer electronics.

Discounts on TVs

“Retailers in all sectors have reported strong crowds,”according to an NRF statement Nov. 27.

Walmart fell 33 cents to $54.63 on Nov. 27 in new YorkStock Exchange composite trading. Richfield, Minnesota-basedBest buy lost 43 cents to $42.83.

There seemed to be more discounts on TVs this year, andshoppers were snapping them up, said Charles O’Shea, a new York-based retail analyst with Moody’s Investors Service. In the fourhours he spent checking retailers in northern new Jersey, he sawseveral shoppers standing at bus stops holding flat-panel sets.

“It looks like everybody has caught the promotional bug,”O’Shea said in a telephone interview Nov. 27.

The lines in front of best buy stores were longer and thecompany’s Web site attracted more visitors than in 2008, BestBuy’s Dunn said.

“Those are both directionally important indicators forus,” he said in a Bloomberg Television interview.

Samir Patel arrived at noon on Thanksgiving Day with hisbrother and cousin to claim the No. 1 spot in line at best Buyin Jersey City, new Jersey. the 26-year-old, who has beenunemployed since he graduated with a master’s degree in may, waswaiting to buy a Sony Vaio laptop for $399.99 when the storeopened at 5:30 a.m. the next day.

“It’s the best deal for a laptop this year,” he said.”There’s a minimum of 10 in the store.”

Liberty Media Corp.’s QVC shopping channel said it had morethan $32 million in sales Nov. 27, its best-ever Black Friday,and a 60 percent increase from last year. the previous recordwas $22.3 million in November 2006, said Doug Rose, vicepresident of programming and marketing at QVC.

Holiday sales make up a third or more of retailers’ annualprofit. the International Council of Shopping Centers, a tradegroup, predicted sales at stores open at least a year willadvance 1 percent in November and December after a year-earlier5.8 percent decline, the worst in 40 years.

‘More Traffic’

“There’s a little more traffic than last year across theboard, maybe 10 percent,” Bill Taubman, chief operating officerof Taubman Centers inc., a U.S. real estate investment trustwith 24 malls, said in a telephone interview Nov. 27.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, kept stores openall night so shoppers could grab items when they went on sale at5 a.m. the world’s largest retailer cut some toy prices to $5.

Toys “R” Us, based in Wayne, new Jersey, had an averageof 1,000 people outside its stores before they opened atmidnight, five hours earlier than last year, said Chairman andCEO Jerry Storch. the chains sold a “significant number” ofApple inc. iPods and tens of thousands of Zhu Zhu Pets robothamsters, he said.

“The last thing parents will cut back on is toys for theirkids,” Storch said in a telephone interview Nov. 27.

J.C. Penney, Macy’s

Black Friday shopping at J.C. Penney co. stores was strongthroughout the U.S., the Plano, Texas-based retailer said in ane-mailed statement yesterday.

J.C. Penney, which plans to report November sales on Dec.3, fell $1.07 to $29.57 on Nov. 27 on the new York StockExchange.

At the Macy’s inc. store in new York’s Herald Square,shopper traffic appeared greater than a year ago, and continuedto flow in after the initial rush, Macy’s Chairman and CEO TerryLundgren said. Housewares and jewelry were selling “briskly,”he said.

“Last year we were just getting rid of the inventory webought six months before,” Lundgren said. “This year we’ve hada year to think through what is the sales trend.”

Macy’s, based in Cincinnati, dropped 59 cents to $16.97 onNov. 27 on the new York Stock Exchange.

Promotions are shaping up to be less haphazard than lastyear when conditions were “downright dysfunctional” after thefinancial crisis forced retailers to clear out goods, RichardHastings, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based consumer strategistfor Global Hunter Securities LLC, said Nov. 27 in an e-mail.

After this weekend, sales may slip into a lull until mid-December when retailers push out more discounts, Hastings said.

“The season has a long way to go,” Hastings said.

To contact the reporters on this story:Cotten Timberlake in Washington at ctimberlake@bloomberg.net;Chris Burritt in Greensboro, North Carolina, at 1348 or cburritt@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 29, 2009 00:00 EST

Black Friday 2009 is well and truly over and preliminary sales results look good but we have one more big sale event coming up, Cyber Monday. This event was started back in 2005 when retailers wanted to try and shift all their leftover stock from Black Friday. Cyber Monday has had mixed results and this year will be its biggest test yet.

Cyber Monday 2009 will be very different, as shoppers have already started shopping online, as there were a number of Black Friday sales available online as well as in-store. we just hope that there are still plenty of bargains left for shoppers.

Early signs look good, with a number of the big retailers showing their hand early on what deals they will be offering online this year. Kmart, Sears and Walmart have already given shoppers a sneak peak of what to expect on November 30, 2009.

The hottest deals for Cyber Monday will be much the same as they were on Black Friday, HDTVs, Laptops, Digital Cameras, GPS Systems and other electrical items. Let us take a look at a few of the deals that we can expect.

Sears has an LG 55-inch 1080P LCD HDTV, the normal selling price is $2,279. 99, the Cyber Monday special will be $1,779.99.

Kmart are selling a Haier 26-inch Widescreen LCD TV/DVD Combo for $359.99, the normal price is $469.99.

For these and more great Cyber Monday deals, visit merinews.com

CLICK HERE to keep updated with the latest news, share a comment or problems with products and services. Follow us on twitter or read more Cyber Monday 2009 news.

Category: Technology Author : Kim LaCapria Posted: November 28, 2009
Tags : cyber monday, cyber monday 2009, cyber monday 2009 ads, cyber monday deals, cyber monday deals 2009, cyber monday specials

As much as I love shiny new gadgets at deep discounts, I didn’t go out on Black Friday.

For one thing, I hate people. as a former new York City resident now living on marginally less people-infested Long Island, anything involving crowds and people in close proximity, particularly competing for something, makes me go all stabby. (Plus, I almost got into a catfight in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago over the last case of Diet Cherry Pepsi. I was there first and that woman lost her damn mind.) Considering the large volume of crowds expected by stores and riot gear calmly stacked outside in the hours leading up to the sales, I reasoned that shopping on Black Friday was not worth the hassle, no matter how many accessories my iPhone needs to really work as it should.

As is generally always the case, I was so right. everyone I know who went out for the doorbusters came back worse than empty handed- they came back bogged down with shit they didn’t want or need, because no one wants to get up at 3am and buy nothing. the big “deals” we all salivated over for the past few weeks were like raffles, with few people scooping up a free Lego Rock Band at old Navy or a $200 laptop.

Enter Cyber Monday, the online version of Black Friday. While your boss will notice you absent the office for a few hours and the piles of stuff stacked in it after if you nip out to the shops, lots of workers can sneak in some e-tail therapy at their desks under the boss’ radar.

One massive advantage to Cyber Monday shopping is the reduced ability of retailers to jerk shoppers around. While many people lined up at best Buy for scarce, cheap netbooks and notebooks, your total investment of time for Cyber Monday shopping is a few clicks around a site to find where they’ve hidden the deals. if the quantities are super limited like in the stores, you’ll know without having to find a spot, push through crowds and knock down an old lady. Convenient!

While the big box stores warrant a post of their own, a great place to start your Cyber Monday strategizing is Retail Me not, a deal aggregator with codes and deals submitted by the internet at large.their list is exhaustive, but the site has quick, easy and intuitive search functions making the process pretty simple.

Gizmodo’s got a no-nonsense top ten list of Cyber Monday deals, cutting out the faff and detailing some good one-shot things. Included are an XBox 360 Premium Bundle at Wal-Mart for $399, a 20% PayPal cash-back incentive with some retailers, and a $25 Bluetooth headset.

As listings for genuine Cyber Monday sales and deals are scarce or ambiguous, it seems the best strategy for the day is to surf early and surf often. Sites begin sales days at different time based on location and policy, so some update as early as midnight. and bear in mind that stores are just as desperate as shoppers this year to stimulate their finances, so deals are likely to go hot and heavy for the entire Christmas season. do a quick Google shopping scan before searching to ensure the price you’re about to pay is indeed the lowest. and if you know of any fantastic deals we may be missing, ping me on Twitter at @klacapria and I’ll update with the good ones.

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