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UB prof expects online sales to surpass in-store sales for first time ever this holiday season

scene inside a mall decorated for the Christmas shopping season.

UB faculty member Charles Lindsey predicts sales will boom this holiday season — both online and in stores, with overall spending expected to increase by around 5 percent.

By JACQUELINE MOLIK GHOSEN

Published November 22, 2017 This content is archived.

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“To get the best deals, consumers can take advantage of a number of resources, such as apps like ShopSavvy, which allow them to scan an item’s bar code when shopping in a store and determine if another retailer is offering the same item for a lower price. ”
Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing
School of Management

The trend of buying goods online will continue to grow this holiday season, with online sales expected to surpass in-store sales for the first time ever, according to a UB expert in retail marketing strategy, brands and consumer behavior.

Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing in the School of Management, predicts we’ll see booming sales this season, and that last year’s trends will continue and grow: 

  • In 2016, Cyber Monday was the largest online shopping day in history and a new record is expected for this year.  
  • The amount of spending per person is expected to increase this holiday season — from Black Friday through Cyber Monday — and overall.
  • According to a recent Deloitte survey, online spending is expected to grow by a whopping 20 percent, and overall spending is expected to increase by around 5 percent.
  • While a majority of online purchases will be via desktop — versus mobile devices — deal and price comparison apps can help consumers identify the best deals.

“According to data from RetailMeNot.com, the typical holiday deal actually started about five days before Thanksgiving last year,” Lindsey says. “That number is expected to increase this year.

“To get the best deals, consumers can take advantage of a number of resources, such as apps like ShopSavvy, which allow them to scan an item’s bar code when shopping in a store and determine if another retailer is offering the same item for a lower price,” he says. “This works for online purchases, as well as the closest brick-and-mortar locations.”