Posted in Industry News,Retail Trends,Customers
What is Green Monday?
If you haven’t heard of Green Monday, its okay. You may be thinking it sounds like yet another opportunistic shopping holiday and, as much as any other holiday dreamed up by retailers (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Free Shipping Day, etc.), it is! In fact, the 2nd Monday in December is the 3rd busiest online shopping day of the year. The term “Green Monday” was coined back in 2009 by eBay to describe a massive spike in sales experienced that second Monday in December. (And, no. This shopping holiday does not refer to environmentally-friendly practices such as recycling.) Green Monday is all about green, cold-hard, CASH.
Green Monday Sales History Chart
| Year | Sales (In billions) | Percent Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $.556 | N/A |
| 2006 | $.661 | 18.9% |
| 2007 | $.881 | 33.3% |
| 2008 | $.859 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | $.854 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | $.954 | 11.7% |
| 2011 | $1.133 | 18.8% |
| 2012 | $1.275 | 12.5% |
| 2013 | $1.401 | 9.9% |
| 2014 | $1.615 | 15.3% |
| 2015 | $1.408 | -12.8% |
| 2016 | $1.621 | 15.1% |
Lazy Man’s Cyber Monday
With numbers smaller than Shop.org‘s brainchild “Cyber Monday” (which came about in 2005), Green Monday can also be know as the poor or lazy man’s Cyber Monday. Meaning, a final savings opportunity for procrastinators to get those last minute gifts. “It’s not as big as Cyber Monday, but it’s bigger than Black Friday for Thanksgiving online sales,” says Brent Shelton, spokesman for deal site Ebates.com. At least, it will be if retailers continue to offer discounts online to keep the holiday shopping season momentum going.
How Could Green Monday affect YOU?
Typically, the major retailers will be the ones using the term Green Monday. Some participating retailers include: Walmart, Sears, Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Amazon.com, many of which will be focusing on coupons and cashback certificates. “The term Cyber Monday 2 will also be used by others,” Shelton says. “Either way, it’s a big online shopping day for us.”. With such big players honoring and promoting this shopping holiday, it might make it hard for smaller businesses to compete with the online numbers. If you’re a small business owner, here are some ideas on how to attract paying customers on Green Monday:
- Try hosting an in-store customer appreciation evening. This could not only boost sales, but give you the chance to make shoppers aware you’re thankful for their loyalty. Make it a special event, provide refreshments or entertainment of some sort. As well as, a nice in-store discount for the day.
- If you want to grab the attention of your online shoppers, try marketing (a week or so prior) a customer appreciation/loyalty sale set for the second Monday in December. Giving your customer’s a heads-up before actual Green Monday, could incentivize them choosing to shop with you instead of the less-personable experience you seem to get with the giants like Walmart and Amazon.
Less enamored with Green Monday, “This reminds me of Free Shipping Day,” said Sean Graw in 2015, then spokesman for sale site BradsDeals.com. “It’s another drummed-up consumer event that doesn’t mean much, but a lot of retailers and other deal sites try to push it pretty hard.” Yet many are jumping onboard: 70% of retailers will offers deals online, according to the NRF.
How to Get the Best Green Monday Deals
If you’re interested in a particular store’s Green Monday offer, try checking out its websites. Often, retail giants will create entire web pages devoted to listing their promotions. Ebates.com compares the best seasonal deals for all participating stores on their Green Monday websites. Creating an account and shopping with Ebates, offers a plethora of different cash-back opportunities.
Green Monday deals can also be found on CyberMonday.com, which promotes online discounts from 800 retailers year-round. Below are 10 Online Shopping Tips great for shopping holidays like Green Monday and Cyber Monday.
- Start Tracking Deals Early
- Compare Online with In-Store Prices & Other Retailers
- Sign up for Email Newsletters
- Factor in Shipping Costs
- Have Your Shipping Addresses Ready
- Buy Discounted Giftcards
- Register for Online Accounts Beforehand
- Pre-Load Your Shopping Cart
- Order Through a Rewards Site
- Seek out & Stack Coupon Codes
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