Businesses Seek To Lure In Customers On Cyber Monday

MADISON, Wis. -- It’s been a busy weekend for holiday shoppers, and new numbers show some growth in sales over last year, according to industry watchers.

From Friday to Saturday, consumers spent $17 billion, boosting sales about 1 percent. The average amount online shoppers spent Friday rose a whopping 35 percent from 2008. Meanwhile, stores are still banking on online sales on Cyber Monday.

The growing popularity of Cyber Monday is prompting businesses to adapt, WISC-TV reported. Experts said while Cyber Monday might not carry the same weight as Black Friday, online shopping is still crucial to retailers.

Jodie May is online, but she’s not shopping. She is helping Lands' End customers. With products hanging within reach for reference, she took all kinds of calls from her cubicle on Cyber Monday.

"I have had actually a couple customers today that have never shopped online before and they needed just some assistance to make sure they were feeling confident and selecting the right items," said May.

While some in-store and online offers, like the "St. Nick’s Pick" are the same, the Dodgeville-based company is offering exclusive online deals.


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"We really gear up for this time of year. And we're all excited because today has been a very busy day for us," said Joan Conlin, vice president of customer service.

More people are shopping this year, but experts add that they’re also being extra cautious of their in-store and online purchases.

"Folks are now starting to really think 'What am I buying? Is it going to last more than a short time? What kind of value am I going to get from this?,'" said Deborah Mitchell of the University of Wisconsin School of Business.

It's a tough sale that May hopes to land with old-fashioned, good customer service.

Companies like Lands' End are also expanding their services and reaching customers using Facebook and Twitter, as well as chatting live with customers.
Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage