Bosses Beware: Employees Plan to Shop While on the Clock

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Work productivity is once again expected to drop on Cyber Monday as employees take advantage of the best deals of the day. According to a recent survey by Kelton Global and leading savings destination RetailMeNot, we estimate as many as 94% of employed consumers plan to spend some time on their computers browsing and buying during the Cyber Monday workday, which is similar to last year's findings.

"Employees are willing to go to great lengths to find the best deals on everything from their holiday list," says Sara Skirboll, the shopping and trends expert for RetailMeNot. "According to our survey, we know that many shoppers plan to spend as many as four hours looking for Cyber Monday deals."

No Work, All Play

Shoppers see a lot of value in Cyber Monday, with almost one in five consumers dubbing it the best day for savings of the year. Not even those with jobs will let it stop them from saving wisely! To find time for shopping, employed consumers are getting creative with their Cyber Monday browsing. Of those surveyed, nearly half (47%) will shorten their workday and leave early; 26% will take a long lunch; and 13% will go into work late.

Those with more strict schedules will sneak in shopping whenever they can. Over 1 in 5 (22%) will adjust their schedules by moving meetings or calls to ensure plenty of time to make their holiday purchases. It's no surprise that an estimated 21% would be willing to get caught shopping online if it meant securing the best deals.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

Wondering what to purchase and what to skip? Black Friday and Cyber Monday each have their own unique savings that make them shop-worthy. According to RetailMeNot data, the top five categories, by average percentage off, for Cyber Monday include:

• Computers/electronics (48% off)
• Designer clothing (43% off)
• Teen clothing (39% off)
• Books and news (33% off)
• Home and garden (31% off)

While these are typical of Cyber Monday, keep an eye out for deals in unexpected categories as well. Last year, RetailMeNot also saw higher discounts on things like travel, health and beauty, accessories and shoes.

Mobile Redemption

Mobile devices are playing a larger role in helping consumers shop smarter this year. Forty percent plan to compare prices, while more than a quarter (26%) will read product reviews on their smartphones before making purchases. The savvy savings continue as more than 2 in 5 (42%) will use their mobile devices to search for discounts before completing their purchases.

But mobile devices will be integral to the holiday season in other ways as well. Of those surveyed, 26% plan to send holiday greetings to friends and family via their smartphones, and 15% will use them to track or check in for an upcoming flight during the holidays.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Sara Skirboll, contact Katie Hammill.

Survey Methodology

The RetailMeNot August 2016 survey was conducted between September 28 and October 1, 2016, among 1,003 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation and are estimated. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About RetailMeNot, Inc.

RetailMeNot (http://www.retailmenot.com/corp/) is a leading digital savings destination connecting consumers with retailers, restaurants and brands, both online and in-store. The company enables consumers across the globe to find hundreds of thousands of digital offers to save money while they shop or dine out. During the 12 months ended September 30, 2016, RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced over 675 million visits to its websites. It also averaged 19.2 million mobile unique visitors per month during the three months ended September 30, 2016. RetailMeNot, Inc. estimates that approximately $4.8 billion in retailer sales were attributable to consumer transactions from paid digital offers in its marketplace in 2015, more than $600 million of which were attributable to its in-store solution. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio of websites and mobile applications includes RetailMeNot.com in the United States; RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; VoucherCodes.co.uk in the United Kingdom; retailmenot.de in Germany; Actiepagina.nl in the Netherlands; ma-reduc.com and Poulpeo.com in France; RetailMeNot.es in Spain, RetailMeNot.it in Italy, RetailMeNot.pl in Poland and GiftCardZen.com and Deals2Buy.com in North America. RetailMeNot, Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol "SALE."

Media contact:

Katie Hammill
RetailMeNot, Inc.
+1  412 600 4869 mobile
[email protected]

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SOURCE RetailMeNot

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