Online deals vary by day this holiday
If you’re looking for an online deal this holiday season, all days are not created equal.
Looking for a bargain on toys? It’s best to start clicking on Dec. 1. Determined to finally nab an Instapot? Black Friday might be your best bet. And if you’re patient, you might get the best deal on electronics a couple of days after Christmas.
That’s according to Adobe Analytics, the analytics software firm, which revealed its holiday forecast Tuesday.
Shoppers continue to increase the amount of time and money they spend online, with online spending expected to top $143.7 billion this holiday season, over 14% more than they spent on desktops, tablets and smartphones
last year, Adobe Analytics says.
And in a shopping season that will have six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than $1 billion is projected to be spent online every single day in November and December for the first time ever.
Shoppers seeking the most bang for their bucks may want to be strategic in picking when they make a particular purchase.
You can save up to 32% on average if you shop for toys Dec. 1, and up to 18% on computers, the forecast predicts.
Black Friday is expected to offer discounts of up to 9% on appliances and 6% on sporting goods.
CyberMonday, predicted to be the biggest online shopping day of the season with $9.4 billion in sales, will offer discounts on TVs of up to 19%.
And the best deals on electronics are expected Dec. 27, when patient shoppers can get gadgets for up to 27% off as retailers try to shed leftover merchandise once the holiday rush is over.
“The fact that not a single day does less than $1 billion dollars shows there are good sales happening across the season,” says Vivek Pandya, lead analyst for Adobe Digital Insights.
But it’s still big sales days including Black Friday and CyberMonday “where the discounts really kick in.”
When it comes to online purchases, 36% will happen on a smartphone, a 20% leap over last year. Shoppers are spending 47 cents per minute browsing on their mobile devices, up from 30 cents a minute three years ago. And the top products they’re searching for? Items that don’t necessarily need a bigger screen for a more vivid display – toys, baby products, and booze.
Stores, however, still play a key role in shopping plans, even for those who check off their holiday lists online. While 37% of shoppers say they intend to pick up their online orders at a store, 82% add that they probably will browse for even more items when they pick up their online purchase.