Cyber Monday the most successful day in retail history
Cyber Monday has come and gone and left the retail industry rejoicing what has become one of the most successful holiday shopping weekends ever. Retailers saw record sales on Cyber Monday as shoppers flocked to e-commerce sites to make purchases online. According to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, online sales this year rose by 30% over what they had been on Cyber Monday in 2011. IBM suggests that Cyber Monday has become the most successful online shopping day the retail industry has ever seen.
Consumers flock online for major deals
Consumers did not just use their computers to buy products online, many of them also turned to their smart phones and tablets. Mobile devices accounted for a significant portion of the sales that retailers saw on Cyber Monday. Indeed, many retailers sought to engage consumers through various mobile commerce efforts that offered deals specifically to those that made purchases using a specialized application or a smart phones or tablet.
Mobile sales soar due to the efforts of retailers
Part of the success that retailers saw through their online platforms comes from the fact that they did not actually wait until Monday to begin providing deals. Traditionally, retailers wait until Cyber Monday arrives to begin offering online-only deals. This year, however, many decided to introduce these deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, hoping to take advantage of the holiday shopping buzz. This proved especially successful among mobile consumers who were eager to use their devices to find products they were interested in.
Consumers still have time to benefit from mobile commerce initiatives
Though the most significant holiday shopping weekend of the year has come to an end, mobile commerce is still expected to play a major role in the remainder of the holiday season. Consumers have plenty of time to continue shopping before Christmas arrives and they will also be able to take advantage of the deals offered by retailers as that day draws nearer.
Holiday shopping season highlights dangers of mobile commerce
The holiday season has only just begun, but mobile commerce is already experiencing major success. Consumers are flocking to the concept of using their mobile devices to make purchases and shop for products. Indeed, mobile commerce had a powerful showing on Thanksgiving day and Black Friday, accounting for billions worth of sales. Though consumers have shown major interest in mobile commerce, they may be making some simple mistakes that could be putting their financial information at risk.
Consumers warned to be cautious in December
Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection notes that more consumers are making use of their mobile devices to make holiday shopping more convenient. These consumers could be at risk of falling victim to scams and hacking attempts, if they are not careful. The agency has issued a warning to holiday shoppers to be careful during December in an effort to ensure consumers take adequate steps to protect themselves.
Scams can easily take advantage of unaware consumers
The agency suggests that a growing number of mobile e-commerce scams could be putting consumers at risk of exploitation. Such scams are relatively common during the holiday season, but e-commerce and mobile commerce platforms are ideal disguises for such fraudulent activities. The Department of Consumer Protection suggests that it can be easy for some consumers to miss the signs of a scam during the holiday season because they are distracted. Moreover, malicious mobile sites could house malware that can infect a mobile device and leave a consumer’s financial information exposed.
Mobile apps could help protect devices from attacks
The growing popularity of mobile commerce may raise awareness of the security precautions that consumers can take to protect themselves. There are several anti-virus and anti-malware applications available for both Android and iOS platforms that can protect a device from malicious attacks. These applications do not mitigate scams, however, so consumers are advised to pay close attention to the mobile commerce and e-commerce platforms they choose to use during the holiday season.
