The convenience of online shopping is drawing more customers away from traditional stores, with an 11% increase in online Black Friday spending this year. That figure is ahead of the market as a whole, which rose 3%. Amazon leads the pack in those online sales, gaining 28% year-over-year.
ComScore cited increased reliance on social networking and "creative promotions" as some reasons for the growth – and the firm doesn't believe it will stop, either. Cyber Monday also saw large increases over last year, and comScore says things look encouraging for online retailers. Companies that have both a retail and online presence did well, with Walmart, Target and Best Buy all gaining.
If consumers continue to opt for Web-based shopping, will we see the end of midnight or early morning sales at brick-and-mortar stores?