I do, however, think the tide is turning with regard to Black Friday. I look around at my friends, many of whom are in their 30s and early 40s, and find that they, too, would rather saw off an appendage than be out fighting crowds on the busiest shopping day of the year. I also have daughters of my own, who are in their late 20s, who would never consider being a part of anything like Black Friday madness. For them, a deal just isn’t that important. Or at least the perceived benefit of the “Black Friday Deals” … which means crowded stores, long lines, rude people and, for them, no fun at all.
Today’s Gen X and Gen Y consumers are tuned into the web like never before – and they seem to value their time in way that their predecessors don’t. For them, driving across town, digging for deals, standing on lines and co-mingling with the masses are all very unattractive options. They are smart and savvy shoppers, know how and where to look for great deals, coupons and other perks, are totally dialed into the social media realm and are all about the convenience of investing in a little online research, making a purchase and having it delivered right to their doorstep. No fuss, no muss, no craziness. Lots of time saved, some money saved, uber convenience accomplished.
So here are the Top 5 reasons I love shopping online – and think that you will, too:
Save Time
We are all in the same boat here. Too much to do and not enough time. And we’re all Internet junkies. It only makes sense that purchasing online saves time, energy and results in great satisfaction when our purchases are delivered to our front door.
Get Deep Discounts and Good Stuff
Given the horrible economy of the past year, deep discounts can likely be counted on as retailers struggle to do all they can to compete. Customers are also very savvy these days, relying on social media sites to learn about great deals, reading customer reviews and even asking friends for opinions on best items to purchase.
Free Shipping
This is just a given, especially this season. Customers expect it and retailers expect to give it. When you’re shopping online, best advice is to just say no to any purchase that doesn’t include free shipping.
Less Aggravation
People suck. Especially during the holiday season. Tempers are short, stores are hot, kids are annoying and lines are long. There is, frankly, no reason to subject ourselves to that nonsense unless absolutely necessary. And it is not!
Find Stuff You’re Looking For
Every year there are the “hot” products that people do crazy things like line up at 3am in nasty cold weather in hopes of snagging. Emphasis there on “crazy,” by the way. Sometimes, taking to the Internet is a great way to find those hard-to-get items that quickly sell out in brick and mortar stores. And, if you’re that set on buying one of those nutty faux hamster sets (a/k/a Zhu Zhu Pets) that everyone is so crazy about this shopping season), surely you won’t mind paying a few extra bucks for it on eBay. Bottom line, you can often get what you need online more effectively than traipsing all over town.
So, there you have it. If you’re not shopping online this (and, frankly, every) holiday season, you’re the exception rather than the rule. No matter how you choose to handle your holiday shopping, here’s hoping you retain as much of your sanity as possible, spend as little time doing the onerous task (remember, I began by saying that I loathe shopping), as possible and hold onto as much of your hard-earned cash as possible. Happy holiday shopping!! May it be short, sweet, relatively inexpensive and fun.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”
