Green Monday

Green Monday refers to one of the retail industry's busiest shopping days, occurring on the second Monday in December. Green Monday represents the day many shoppers rush to purchase last-minute holiday gifts and take advantage of deals.

The web shopping site eBay claims it coined the phrase "Green Monday" in 2007, after it realized that the second Monday in December was one of its most profitable sales days. Green Monday is also known as “Cyber Monday 2” in retail circles due to the high volume of online shoppers seeking last-minute holiday deals.

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Why is 'Green Monday' the Term of the Day?

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The "green" in Green Monday was intended to convey two associations: green for dollars, and green for environmentally friendly, for those who believe online shopping is more eco-friendly than shopping in brick-and-mortar stores.

“It’s considered the second biggest day for online holiday shopping after Cyber Monday, and online shopping is regarded as more environmentally friendly than driving from store to store,” observes Nancy Brenner, a New York City sample sale and retail expert.

Retail data and pricing analytics firm DataWeave has been tracking Green Monday sales and says it has become “an all-week event with discounts peaking on Green Monday and tapering off before a resurgence” on the day after Christmas, according to Krish Thyagarajan, DataWeave’s president and COO.

However, supply constraints could bite into deals this year. “The deals we remember from five years ago are not happening now because of the supply chain constraints,” says Marie Driscoll, Managing Director of Luxury and Fashion at Coresight Research, a retail and technology research firm.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts record sales growth this holiday season, potentially surpassing its original estimate of a 8.5% to 10.5% increase. Excluding auto dealers, gas stations, and restaurants, but including online sales, NRF is forecasting a total of between $843.4 billion and $859 billion in holiday retail sales this year, ahead of last year’s $777.3 billion.

-Jill

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