2016 Cyber Monday Trends
Tis the season for frantic holiday shopping. Which products should we keep an eye on?
What was once a consumer tradition limited to America has become a global sensation and the official start to the Christmas shopping season. Of course we are talking,, about Black Friday, followed by its less frantic cousin Cyber Monday. As two of the biggest American shopping days of the year which fall directly after Thanksgiving, the hype surrounding these events serves as a barometer of what’s popular in consumer electronics and other retail categories.
Trending #Worldwide
Thanks to mega retailers like Amazon and eBay, the purchasing frenzy surrounding these two days easily spreads beyond US retailers, seeing global chains follow suit. This is particularly true in the UK where major retailers like Argos and John Lewis offer deals surrounding the event, despite the fact the UK doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. As proof of the event’s growing global appeal, the International Business Times reported, “On Black Friday last year, Amazon sold more than 7.4 million items in the UK alone – which equates to around 86 items sold every second.”
Reaching Out
The endless news coverage of frantic shoppers mowing down competitors to get their hands on the latest gadget certainly helps. But so do retailers who implement strategies like eCommerce localization. As one blogger put it, “ecommerce companies have an opportunity to reach markets beyond the US and can achieve that through modern international shopping events. Better yet, online retailers can connect to any audience from any location with eCommerce localization.”
Many of the deals around this shopping frenzy tend to be in the tech and gadgetry category, as these usually-high ticket items make great end of year gifts. So, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday upon us, what gadgets and product categories are we consistently seeing on offer? Here is a look at what’s sure to be popular this holiday season—and what you should try and get your hands on sooner rather than later.
Wireless Headphones
With the release of Apple’s iPhone 7 that includes no headphone jack, the great transition to wireless headphones has begun. We’re seeing a lot of special deals on Bluetooth models, including the Beats Solo2 wireless headphones. Other perennially popular headphone models include noise cancelling models, which come in both wireless and conventional formats – like the Save on the Bose QuietComfort 20 Noise Cancelling Headphones, both on sale on Amazon.
Smartphones
With Samsung’s share prices floundering after its Galaxy Note 7 debacle, it’s no surprise to see a lot of its other smartphone models on sale and severely marked down. These include the Verizon Samsung J1, the Boost Samsung Prevail, the AT&T GoPhone Samsung Express Prime, the Cricket Samsung Sol and the TracFone Samsung Luna models.
Game Consoles
Game consoles are always a hot holiday item. With new models due to be released from both Xbox and PlayStation, now is a good time to get the most recent release, usually coupled with a few games as a holiday bonus. Both the PS4 and Xbox One are likely to be on offer from a variety of retailers.
Kitchen & Home Tech
For the cooks and coffee lovers on your shopping list, kitchen gadgets are always a great gift buy. There have been a lot of deals around Keurig machines as well as the ever-popular Nutribullet, which is a huge hit for healthy foodies that want to start the new year with a green juice diet.
Smart Home gadgets are on the rise too, with Nest Cam Security Camera, alongside security solutions from Swan and Zmodo popular as well.
Smartwatches
Finally, there is likely to be a lot of deals around smartwatches, with the Apple Watch (and its many associate accessories and band options) leading the pack followed by other models including FitBit and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear.