As shoppers faced crowded stores on Thanksgiving and Black Friday snatching bargains on electronics, clothing and toys, local online retailers stock up for their big day: Cyber Monday.
Some online retailers promote Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, as a day for exceptional bargains.
But, Neil Edley, who owns Sugar Plum Chocolates in Forty Fort with his mom, Frann Edley, said they do not offer heavy discounts on Cyber Monday like traditional retail stores. Sugar Plum Chocolates sells specialty products that people want to buy, he said.
“People shop on Black Friday because they want a deal. That’s why stores put out deals to bring people in and then they buy other stuff,” Mr. Edley said. “We’re in the specialty business and we really don’t fall into that category. Black Friday is a very hyped-up shopping day for clothing and electronics.”
Cyber Monday is a big day for Sugar Plum Chocolates, an e-commerce company that has grown into a global gourmet chocolate giant which sells candy, confections and handcrafted chocolates all over the world.
Mr. Edley said employees have been making a great deal of products to get ready.
“We get pretty busy on Cyber Monday,” he said. “We’ve been making stock around the clock. It’s the kickoff of the holiday shopping season.”
The most popular seller at Sugar Plum Chocolates for the holidays is sriracha chocolates, he said. They even make a spicy chocolate and sriracha Santa Claus.
“We’ve been shipping it all over the country,” Mr. Edley said. “They’re so good.”
Jack Kiefer, co-founder, president and CEO of BabyAge.com, now located in CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park in Jenkins Twp., said e-commerce trends are different than brick and mortar stores.
While some shoppers faced the crowds over Thanksgiving weekend, others avoided that scene and started their shopping online.
He said online sales for BabyAge.com were busy the entire weekend and he expects Cyber Monday will be a big day for sales in addition to “Green Monday” on Dec. 8. Green Monday, an online retail industry term similar to Cyber Monday, was coined by eBay to describe its best sales day, usually the second Monday of December.
“Historically, Cyber Monday is the best day of the year for us,” Mr. Kiefer said.
Like other online retailers, Cyber Monday won’t be a day for broad-based deep discounts for BabyAge.com, but Mr. Kiefer said there will be good savings on select products and many people prefer to shop online.
“For years, e-commerce has continued to expand and continues to take a percentage way from traditional retail sales,” he said. “A traditional retail store, for me, is the last place I want to go during the holiday season. It’s like going to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. There are too many people and you never find what you need.”
Mr. Kiefer said he finds online shopping is more convenient and items are shipped right to people’s homes. Additionally, people can browse through several items that online retailers carry while a traditional store has a limited array of products and can only hold so many items.
BabyAge.com offers a huge selection of baby and toddler items which it ships from its huge warehouse. Keifer said if he had to put all the inventory they carry in a retail site, it would fill three Babies R Us stores.
Mr. Kiefer said they don’t need to prepare that much for Cyber Monday because their systems are so good that they already knew what to buy.
“All the work has been done and unlike a store, we don’t have deal with thousands of people walking in the store,” he said. “Our inventory is up and are systems are ready. It’s just a matter of pack and ship.”
Retail consultant Howard Davidowitz predicts online shopping will experience the biggest growth during the holiday shopping season.
“I think it’s because people realize it’s nuts to stand in lines. People understand they can do comparative pricing online and they know they can get the best deal at a place like Amazon,” Mr. Davidowitz said. “It’s easy, it’s quick and that’s how you get the best deal. There will be an explosion of people shopping online.”
Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com