ComScore reports that Cyber Monday spending increased 15% over last year. While the November to December period is down 2% from last year, this weekend saw tremendous gains in online sales. Breaking down the data a bit more, ComScore today reports that there was a 22% increase in online shoppers, though a decrease in the average value per transaction. Online shopping sites saw a 33% jump in traffic, with Best Buy seeing a 131% increase in traffic. I hope they were able to reap the benefits of that. More detailed breakdowns available in today’s release from ComScore.
Best Buy recently turned to their retail stores to look for talent to build their new intranet. There seems to be a good focus on breaking down divisions between rank and accelerating communication from the bottom up. Employee feedback is being used by merchants to help make better, and most likely, more timelier decisions. I also really like the fact that they went to the store level to find the skill to build the intranet, essentially allowing the target audience to have a major say in how the site will be built.
Walmart and Coke have released a new commercial called “Joy! Enough to go around“. The commercial pushes the low prices that Walmart has on Coke products; prices so low that it allows the star of the video to throw a holiday party for everyone he knows. It’s a really well crafted video. I love the continuous, one-camera shot of this video. Now, I can’t get the jingle out of my head. Well done, I think.