Cyber Monday gains popularity as a top holiday shopping day, according to PriceGrabber® survey

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber Monday (Nov. 26) will celebrate its seventh anniversary in 2012, and consumer motivation for shopping on the day synonymous with the best online deals continues to grow in popularity, according to survey data from leading shopping comparison site PriceGrabber.com^®. Further results from PriceGrabber's third winter holiday shopping survey reveal that, when asked to select which days they plan to shop over the Thanksgiving weekend (choosing as many of the four days as they liked), 41 percent of respondents said Cyber Monday, a steady increase from 37 percent last year and 33 percent in 2010. Conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 24, 2012, the survey includes responses from 4,958 U.S. online shopping consumers.

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When the 41 percent of consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday were asked if they plan to shop more on Cyber Monday versus Black Friday (Nov. 23) this year, 58 percent said they plan to do so, 30 percent indicated they will shop the same amount on both days and 12 percent said they do not plan to shop more on Cyber Monday compared to Black Friday.

Consumers will shop on Cyber Monday for discounts and free shipping

Shoppers plan to take advantage of retailer offers and incentives on Cyber Monday as they continually look for deals on holiday gifts this season. When the consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday were asked to select all of the reasons they plan to do so, an overwhelming 84 percent indicated that they wanted to take advantage of one-day deals, discounts and free-shipping offers.

This was followed by 31 percent who indicated a willingness to buy on Cyber Monday after looking for sales during Black Friday weekend, and 29 percent wanted to get their holiday shopping done early. Twelve percent indicated they wanted to spend Black Friday weekend speaking with friends and family about their gift lists, 7 percent noted that Cyber Monday is a tradition with family and friends, 5 percent said they consider it an excuse to take a break from work, and another 3 percent indicated that their office Internet connection is faster than the one at home.

Most Cyber Monday consumers will shop from home; mobile presence increases

While Cyber Monday is often associated with employees returning to the office after the Thanksgiving weekend only to spend the bulk of the workday browsing for holiday deals online, PriceGrabber's survey data revealed that the workplace will not be the most popular location to conduct Cyber Monday shopping in 2012. When consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday were asked to specify from where they plan to shop, 83 percent indicated home, 11 percent said work and 6 percent will shop on the go from a mobile device. Consumers' mobile shopping plans continue to increase this holiday season, up from the 4 percent of consumers that planned to shop from a mobile device on Cyber Monday last year.

Consumers will shop in the morning to grab the best deals early

Cyber Monday consumers believe that the early bird gets the worm. When consumers who plan to shop on Cyber Monday were asked to indicate what time they plan to shop, 30 percent said in the early morning (5 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.), 29 percent said in the late morning (9 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.), 17 percent said in the evening (7 p.m. to 12 a.m.), 15 percent said in the afternoon (12 p.m. to 4:59 p.m.) and 9 percent said in the early evening (5 p.m. to 6:59 p.m.).

"Industry forecasts predict growth in online holiday sales this season, and our survey data is in line with this trend, revealing strong consumer interest in online shopping on Cyber Monday to take advantage of retailer incentives," said Rojeh Avanesian, vice president of marketing and analytics of PriceGrabber.com. "While most consumers plan to shop from a home computer on Cyber Monday, we anticipate that mobile shopping will continue to gain momentum, allowing even busy commuters to make the most of what retailers are sure to offer on Cyber Monday."

Clothing and consumer electronics expected to be Cyber Monday's most popular gifts

According to PriceGrabber's survey, consumers cite clothing and consumer electronics as the top gift purchases on Cyber Monday. Consumers who indicated that they will shop on Cyber Monday (respondents could select as many choices as they liked), 53 percent said that they will purchase clothing as gifts. This was followed by 47 percent who said they will purchase consumer electronics; 43 percent said they will buy computers, laptops, tablets or related equipment; another 43 percent indicated books, CDs, DVDs or video games; 34 percent said they will purchase toys; and 31 percent picked shoes.

To view all of PriceGrabber's 2012 holiday shopping press releases, visit:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/about.php?about=press

Infographics from PriceGrabber's Winter Holiday Shopping Surveys
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INFOGRAPHIC 5: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/holiday3_infographic1.jpg
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INFOGRAPHIC 3: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/holiday2_infographic1.jpg
INFOGRAPHIC 2: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/Holiday1_Infographic2.jpg
INFOGRAPHIC 1: http://i.pgcdn.com/images/infographics/Holiday1_InfoGraphic1.jpg 

For shrewd holiday shopping on any budget, visit http://www.pricegrabber.com to browse products, compare prices, read merchant reviews, find local deals, online deals, and more. Download the mobile application for smart shopping on the go. 

About PriceGrabber.com^®

PriceGrabber is a leading online shopping site with more than 23 million unique shoppers monthly. At PriceGrabber, savvy shoppers can instantly find and compare over 80 million unique products and services across 25 categories with more than 11,000 merchants. Compare products side by side to find the right retailers at the best prices within popular categories, such as Digital Cameras, TVs, Electronics, Computers, Clothing, Books, and more. PriceGrabber provides shoppers with the right product from the right merchant at the best price anytime, anywhere. Visit us at http://www.pricegrabber.com.

SOURCE PriceGrabber