Cyber Monday Mania
Today is the big day, Cyber Monday, the day no one even knew existed until Thanksgiving rolled around this year. Unlike most fabricated holidays, this one was invented not by Hallmark, but instead by National Retail Federation. The (American) media has been hyping Cyber Monday like crazy.
Network news thrives on speculation and they have filled hours of airtime with the “Cyber Monday Theory” to predict and explain potentially sluggish sales on Black Friday, the traditional kick-off of the Holiday Shopping Season on the Friday After Thanksgiving.
Today, many Americans go back to work after a 4 day weekend ( the only one on the calendar all year), and according to the media, millions will spend their day shopping for bargains online. With over 8 billion minutes logged on Facebook alone every day, the staggering amount of time people spend online at work is a plausible indication that many people will, in fact, be sitting behind their desk shopping. According to the NFR, 88.2 million Americans will shop from home on Cyber Monday while 13.5 percent, or 13 million people, will shop from work. Cyber Monday was “Invented in 2005″ and while online shopping increases significantly every year, Cyber Monday has yet to break any sales records.
The media could be applauded in their efforts to stimulate the economy, but with the American Tradition of financing holiday spending with Credit Card debt, the applause might be misplaced. According to the National Retail Federation, unemployment above 10% means that price trumps selection and convenience this holiday season, so people will go out of their way for a bargain.
In the current economy there is less hype about “must have products in limited supply” and without scarcity, people may take their time to see if prices come down closer to Christmas. One big benefit of online shopping for consumers is the ability to research products as well as prices and not be limited to the offers in their own vicinity. Better educated consumers are less likely to be running around town chasing “advertised specials” if they can find the same deal on line. The convenience of shopping online and the abundance of free shipping offers, make online shopping a no brainer.
Over 80% of retailers are offering special Cyber Monday deals, so even if you are like me and normally prefer to wait until the last minute to select that perfect Christmas Gift, you might be tempted to check out the sales? Warning, searching for Cyber Deals can be hazardous! My orders have already been placed to Illy and Lego too. I even happened to stumble upon the perfect gift (for myself) while researching this post, my husband was sitting next to me at the time, so he considers himself lucky to click “add to cart” on Amazon instead of searching through the shops for a gift. Don’t forget, they sell more than books, Amazon also sells Jewelry! What crazy deals have you found online today?
Filed under Customer Delight, In the news, Tech | Comments (2)
Tripit or Skip it? Less is more on Linkedin
If I see one more Tripit update on LinkedIn alerting me about someone in my network taking a trip from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, or from The Hague to Delft, I might puke! Why would you want to know when anyone is taking a 45 minute or even 12 minute train ride? They may as well add “trips” to the dentist and hairdresser while they are at it!
Is sharing every detail of your travel plans with “everyone” in your professional network a good idea? In addition to looking foolish when you alert your network every time you cross the street, there are plenty of other reasons not to use the Tripit application on Linkedin.
Work in Mergers and Acquisitions? Being more discreet about destinations might be effective in negotiations. This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised. In sales? Unless you are an Account Manager with only one account, your clients probably won’t appreciate knowing you spend all of your time in Dusseldorf, home of their biggest competitor’s HQ! Do you take a lot of leisure trips? You may be sending the signal that doing business with you is the equivalent of receiving a long string of “out of office” auto responses. Continue reading »
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One good reason to connect with old highschool friends and frenemies on Facebook?
People often search for old friends (and lovers) when they join a social networking site, but in many cases the “old friends” have little in common or don’t make the extra effort to genuinely reconnect.
One too many Mafia Wars or In God we Trust updates and these superficial friendships are a click away from oblivion.
Here is a refreshing story for a change, of high school friends connecting on Facebook to make a difference. I am proud to say it is my very own, Mehlville High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Operation Ozzy is a Facebook group that was created to literally rescue Mehlville’s all time number one fan, Tim Osborn “Ozzy” from hard times and homelessness. It is difficult to describe the devotion “Ozzy” had to our school and our sports teams for so many years. You had to see it to believe it and as a cheerleader, see it I did! “Ozzy” was a fixture at the games; his enthusiasm and loyalty equally impressive. You can read more about Ozzy’s situation here at OperationOzzy.com.
Originally, a few alumni got together to see how they could pitch in to help out Ozzy once he was located. This group has achieved so many practical (lifesaving) things like offering housing, arranging a job, applying for benefits and getting medical attention. They also started planning a benefit and the Facebook group has now grown to nearly 700.
Tonight’s Mehlville Panthers football game will be the biggest game of Ozzy’s life. He will be officially honored as the MHS number one fan and all proceeds go to the Tim Osborn trust. The organizers have captured the hearts of the media and rallied the community. It is sure to be a success.
I feel very far away from Mehlville High School tonight and for the first time in ages, long to be part of my high school gang. They have obviously grown up to be amazing, caring individuals, and unlike highschool, considerate as a group too! Sure, I have made a donation and arranged to snag a t-shirt, but due to the distance, I find myself cheering from the sidelines. Go Panthers! Go Ozzy!
Filed under In the news, Inspiring, Social Issues | Comments (2)
Trashed-The Evidence of The Effort
In honor of Earth Day, here is a photo of the recycling spot on our street. Yes, our neighborhood is trashed! Yes, to accumulate this many bottles, some of the neighbors must have been trashed too!
It was shocking to see the recycling bins overflowing for so many days, but it also makes me smile. This photo represents where we are today in relation to environmental issues; awareness and good intentions! The demand for recycling obviously exceeds capacity at the moment and I believe programs will expand exponentially to meet the market demand!
Along with a group of my Business Students, I visited the largest factory of recycled plastic products in all of Europe yesterday and saw the innovative products they are making. While remarkable, the complexity and limitations of using recycled household plastics reinforced my belief that Reduce is the R that will soon come to the forefront and make the biggest environmental impact!
Will the willingness to recycle carry over into a desire among consumers to reduce waste? Perhaps the new economic climate and corporate cost cutting will drive some of the wasteful and environmentally unfriendly packaging out of our household products? Let’s hope big innovations in waste reduction are just around the corner…
Filed under In the news, Just Life, Social Issues, Unsolicited Advice, Women | Comment (0)
