Online Shopping Boom

ComScore has just announced that US shoppers have broken the record for online shopping. The Monday after the US Thanksgiving holiday has come to be known as "Cyber Monday", as online shoppers cash in on holiday specials. This year UK shoppers spent over $733 million in 24 hours. It was appropriately named report, "Holiday Season e-Commerce" has announced that since the 1st of November, 2007, over 10.7 billion dollars have been spent online.

The day was named "Cyber Monday" as it previously been recorded as the day when most US residents start doing their Christmas shopping. With the benefits of buying online, citizens have turned to the Internet to order their gifts online rather than going to the mall. ComScore, an online tracker company, estimates that the shopping craze will continue for the next few weeks, up until Christmas. There are expectations that expenditure will reach 800 million dollars on some days.

Cyber Monday's online spending went up by 21% this year, beating last year's record. The day is the most significant spike in all holiday spending. The number of online buyers grew by a total of 38% from the previous record. However the average amount a person spent online dropped by 12%.

It has been reported that the decrease in spending could be attributed to companies offering discounts and becoming more "internet savvy" with their advertisements and sales. A fair amount of the large companies in the US had Cyber Monday sales online for the new trend of online shopping.

The report showed that 6% of US internet users made online purchases on the Monday, with 60% of them coming from work computers. A few retail websites went down on the day, as the traffic surge caused technical problems with their sites. Error messages popped up on users' screens instead of completed transaction notices. Yahoo reported that the traffic on their Yahoo! Merchant Solutions caused smaller retail companies' websites to black out for several hours.

However, larger retail sites, such as Wal-Mart, Dell, Best Buy, Circuit City and Overstock.com jumped up their traffic scale by 100%. There was a 261% increase reported on the MSN Shopping site operated by Microsoft. However, it is not only websites that are finding the boom in traffic stressful; credit and house markets are also being buffeted by the extra strain.

The Friday after Thanks Giving is known as Black Friday. The National Retail Federation showed that, according to their survey, more than 147 million shoppers went online on Black Friday. This is up from last year, by 4.8%. Overall there's been more than a 4% rise in holiday spending this year.

Black Friday was originally named due to the amount of high traffic on the day. Although it is not an official holiday, most UK citizens take the day off for a long weekend. Because it is also the start of Christmas shopping season, there is a large amount of traffic on the roads. As online shopping becomes popular, traffic on the roads is moving over to traffic on websites for the shopping.

With delivery times taken into consideration, online sales should relax and calm down as the festive season declines. However, sales at shops and malls should slowly pick up with Christmas now only a mere month away.

Celeste writes for Online Buying and Shopping News who specialize in shopping online.

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Lapel Pins Help Stretch Your Holiday Marketing Dollars

The economy - it was a major issue in the last election and with its roller coaster drops has caused average consumers to hold tightly to their wallets. Shoppers seem to be cutting back on everything that isn't a necessity. So where does that leave retailers as they approach the holiday season? After all, the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, kicks off the time of year when many businesses make the majority of their profits. Retailers are expected to drastically cut prices this season, but they still have to advertise sales to draw in consumers.

Customized lapel pins can make a big impact on your holiday sales without putting a big dent in your budget. They're high quality, which makes them more like jewelry than buttons or stickers. They can be custom-created in every style and design imaginable, making them a perfect match for sales or holiday events. Best of all, they're inexpensive compared to other forms of advertising. Just look at some of the ways they can make a difference in your business.

Promote Specials and Sales with Lapel Pins

Because lapel pins can be made into any shape and with any color, they're a great idea for sales associates who need to promote holiday specials. Lapel pins showing the company logo with copy such as "Ask About Our 25% Off Specials" are sure to get attention not only in the store, but anywhere the associate wearing your pin happens to go. It's a walking advertisement. If your business offers a lay-a-way policy, use lapel pins to let consumers know. Someone who can't afford an item today might be willing to purchase it if they can make payments over time and not pay interest.

Spread the Word

In the service industry? Try using lapel pins to bring in new clients. Have holiday pins made with your logo then give them to your regular customers. If those customers give their pin to someone who becomes a new client, they both get a discount. This can work for hairstylists, manicurists, pet groomers and countless others. If you sell cookware, jewelry or other items via in-home parties, give holiday lapel pins out with each order. When your customers wear their pins, it gives them the perfect opportunity to share what they like about your product with others. It's a well-known fact that word of mouth is the best advertisement of all.

Lapel Pins Boost Holiday Giving

Lapel pins work wonderfully for nonprofits as well. They can be given to contributors to help increase holiday giving and to say thank you for past and future support. Having a holiday bazaar or other program? Order lapel pins that advertise the event and pass them out to members of your organization. Wearing their pins when they're out and about is a perfect way to spread the word and promote ticket sales. You may even want to give lapel pins to customers for buying tickets early, or for buying a certain number of tickets.

During this holiday season, when everyone is trying to make the most of their money, businesses and consumers alike win with the use of lapel pins. Businesses enjoy increased sales without enormous advertising expenses, while consumers benefit from reduced prices and give-a-ways. Try lapel pins for your group or business this holiday season and see what a difference they make.

Caryn Smith is Manager of Lapel Pins R Us. When you need affordable restaurant advertising, lapel pins are an excellent option. Visit http://www.lapelpinsrus.com today for custom lapel pins in just 10 days, guaranteed! 2008, All Rights Reserved

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