Cyber Monday e-commerce sales in the United States grew 6 percent this year compared with the same period last year, according to Adobe Analytics. Cyber Monday, which falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, has become the biggest online shopping day in the U.S. This year's Cyber Monday, taking place on Dec 2, is expected to generate retail sales between 13.2 billion to 13.5 billion U.S. dollars, potentially setting a new record for single-day online sales in the country, according to Adobe Analytics. The sales increase are partly driven by inflation and concerns about potential tariffs from the incoming Trump administration, according to analysts. "Now, with the threat of tariffs looming on the horizon, it might be a great time for people to buy what they need now, because of the unknown, which might cause prices to spike," said Norman Fong, co-founder of BuyVia, a price comparison platform. While traditional Cyber Monday advertisements dominate the websites of major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, manufacturers are increasingly turning to social media channels to connect with consumers. "Social commerce, especially with the advent of TikTok shops that has been launched in the past year in the U.S., has really ramped up the focus on social in terms of paid, but also in terms of organic and creating conversations on social, which lend to more authenticity," said Lori Fields, Founder and Director of the ecommerce department of Jay Street Partners, a marketing agency. According to Fields, the social media platform Reddit has excelled in allowing consumers to discover their interest in certain products. "There are so many communities in Reddit that are discussing the merits of different products, whether it be from cycling to bedding to hot sauce. We're seeing so many different micro communities," said Fields. For over a decade, the BuyVia website and mobile app have been notifying users about great deals, and this year, they are implementing new strategies. These include video advertisements on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube featuring an AI-generated host. They are also collaborating with social media influencers to enhance their outreach. "We've tried to work with some influencers, and actually a lot of them are extremely pricey and some of the other ones are really hard to work with. So, we looked at what other folks were doing out there, learned some best practices, and decided to just give it a try. Some of it is probably embarrassing, but we're making incremental gains," said Fong.
US Cyber Monday e-commerce sales up 6 pct: data
