The week ended December 18th was the heaviest week for online holiday shopping ever, with shoppers spending more than $6.3 billion, up 15% from the same period last year. Consumers have already spent about $31.9 billion this holiday season according to comScore, which published new figures on Tuesday. “With only a few more days until Christmas, the preponderance of Americans’ late season holiday shopping will shift to brick-and-mortar retail, although the procrastinators among us will still be able to take advantage of expedited shipping and buy online up to and including the day before Christmas Eve with the guarantee of having their gifts delivered in time for the holiday,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni, noting that there were four days last week during which consumers spent more than $1 billion. “In total, we will see another $5 or $6 billion in e-commerce spending over the remainder of December to finish off what has clearly been an outstanding season for online retailers.” November 28th, Cyber Monday, will go down as the heaviest online spending day this holiday season, and in history, with more than $1.251 billion spent. ComScore’s full press release follows after the break.

Heaviest Week in U.S. Online Holiday Shopping History Pushes Season-to-Date Total to $32 Billion, Up 15 Percent vs. Year Ago
Spending Approaches 2010 Holiday Season Total of $32.6 Billion with Nearly Two Weeks Remaining in 2011 Season

RESTON, VA, December 20, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 48 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, nearly $32 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 18), led by four individual days surpassing $1 billion in sales, reached an all-time record of $6.3 billion in online retail spending, up 14 percent from the corresponding week last year. The final shopping weekend before Christmas reached $1.04 billion to rank as the second heaviest weekend of online spending on record.

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 18	$27,814	$31,973	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Green Monday (Dec. 12)	$954	$1,133	19%
Free Shipping Day (Dec. 16)	$942	$1,072	14%
Week Ending Dec. 18	$5,499	$6,286	14%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 19, 2010)

“The final big week of online holiday shopping remained strong throughout, with four days surpassing $1 billion in sales and the second heaviest online shopping weekend on record,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “With only a few more days until Christmas, the preponderance of Americans’ late season holiday shopping will shift to brick-and-mortar retail, although the procrastinators among us will still be able to take advantage of expedited shipping and buy online up to and including the day before Christmas Eve with the guarantee of having their gifts delivered in time for the holiday. In total, we will see another $5 or $6 billion in e-commerce spending over the remainder of December to finish off what has clearly been an outstanding season for online retailers.”

Ten Online Spending Days Top $1 Billion this Holiday Season

For the 2011 holiday season-to-date, ten individual days have surpassed $1 billion in online retail sales. Cyber Monday (Nov. 28) currently ranks as the heaviest online spending day of the season – and in history – at $1.251 billion. Monday, December 5 ranks second at $1.178 billion, followed by Green Monday (Dec. 12) in third with $1.133 billion. Free Shipping Day (Friday, Dec. 16) ranks sixth at $1.072 billion.

Billion Dollar Spending Days for 2011 Holiday Season Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Rank	Date	Spending in Millions ($)
1	Monday, Nov. 28 (Cyber Monday)	$1,251
2	Monday, Dec. 5	$1,178
3	Monday, Dec. 12 (Green Monday)	$1,133
4	Tuesday, Nov. 29	$1,116
5	Tuesday, Dec. 6	$1,107
6	Friday, Dec. 16 (Free Shipping Day)	$1,072
7	Tuesday, Dec. 13	$1,064
8	Wednesday, Nov. 30	$1,025
9	Thursday, Dec. 8	$1,024
10	Thursday, Dec. 15	$1,018

U.S. consumers have spent close to $25 billion so far this holiday season, up 15% from the same period last year, according to a new report from comScore. The research group studied holiday shopping trends beginning in November and found that $479 million was spent on Thanksgiving Day, $816 million was spent on Black Friday, $886 million was spent during Thanksgiving weekend and a record $1.25 billion was spent on Cyber Monday. That wasn’t the only record broken this year, however. “Monday, December 5, 2011 now ranks as the second heaviest spending day in history at $1.18 billion,” the report said, “followed by Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at $1.12 billion and Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at $1.11 billion.” Read on for more.

ComScore expects that December 12th, otherwise known as “Green Monday,” will also be a successful sales day. “The most recent week of the online holiday shopping season saw growth rates remain in line with the season-to-date at 15 percent and three individual spending days eclipse the $1 billion threshold,” comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said. “These highlights represent another very positive sign for the holiday shopping season, as the week following ‘Cyber Week’ often experiences relative softness in spending momentum due to retailers pulling back on their promotional activity. As we enter what will be the heaviest week of the season for online retailers – beginning with ‘Green Monday’ on December 12 – all signs are now pointing to a strong finish to the season.” ComScore’s full press release follows below.

U.S. Online Holiday Spending Approaches $25 Billion for the Season, Up 15 Percent vs. Year Ago
Upcoming “Green Monday” (Dec. 12) to Contend with Cyber Monday for Heaviest Online Spending Day of the Year

RESTON, VA, December 11, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 39 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $24.6 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 9) reached $5.9 billion in spending, an increase of 15 percent versus the corresponding week last year, with 3 days surpassing $1 billion. For the holiday season-to-date, six individual days have surpassed the billion dollar threshold, led by Cyber Monday at $1.25 billion.

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 9	$21,405	$24,622	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Week Ending Dec. 9	$5,149	$5,925	15%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 10, 2010)

“The most recent week of the online holiday shopping season saw growth rates remain in line with the season-to-date at 15 percent and three individual spending days eclipse the $1 billion threshold,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “These highlights represent another very positive sign for the holiday shopping season, as the week following ‘Cyber Week’ often experiences relative softness in spending momentum due to retailers pulling back on their promotional activity. As we enter what will be the heaviest week of the season for online retailers – beginning with ‘Green Monday’ on December 12 – all signs are now pointing to a strong finish to the season.”

“Green Monday” Leads the Way for Online Holiday Shopping

The term “Green Monday” was coined by eBay in 2007 to describe the Monday occurring around the second week of December, which has tended to be the heaviest (or among the heaviest) online spending days of the year. Over the past six holiday shopping seasons, “Green Monday” has consistently ranked among the top spending days of the season, ending the year as the top-ranked spending day twice (2005 and 2007) and the second-ranked spending day three times (2006, 2008 and 2010).

“Green Monday” U.S. Online Spending: 2005-2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Year	Date	Spending	Rank for Season
2005	Monday, December 12	$556	1
2006	Monday, December 11	$661	2
2007	Monday, December 10	$881	1
2008	Monday, December 15	$859	2
2009	Monday, December 14	$854	5
2010	Monday, December 13	$954	2

“We know that Green Monday will rank among the top online spending days of the season, but it’s hold on the #1 position may be slipping somewhat over time,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “One possible reason is that as Free Shipping Day (Friday, December 16 this year) gains in importance each year, online spending during the heaviest week of the season is being more evenly distributed throughout the week, whereas in the past there was a much higher concentration of spending during the early part of the week.”

Top Ten Heaviest Online Spending Days on Record

Since comScore began tracking e-commerce spending in 2001, seven individual shopping days have surpassed $1 billion in spending. To date, Cyber Monday 2011 (Nov. 28) ranks as the heaviest online spending day in history at $1.25 billion. Leading off this most recent week of the holiday season, Monday, December 5, 2011 now ranks as the second heaviest spending day in history at $1.18 billion, followed by Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at $1.12 billion and Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at $1.11 billion. Cyber Monday 2010 (Monday, November 29, 2010) rounds out the top five at $1.03 billion. The only day from 2009 to make the list is Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at $913 million, the heaviest spending day of the 2009 season.

Ten Heaviest U.S. Online Retail Spending Days on Record (thru Dec. 9, 2011) Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Date	Spending in Millions ($)
1	Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 (Cyber Monday)	$1,251
2	Monday, Dec. 5, 2011	$1,178
3	Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011	$1,116
4	Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011	$1,107
5	Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 (Cyber Monday)	$1,028
6	Wednesday, November 30, 2011	$1,025
7	Thursday, December 8, 2011	$1,024
8	Monday, Dec. 6, 2010	$943
9	Friday, Dec. 9, 2011	$917
10	Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009	$913

 

Online spending during the week ending on December 2nd totalled nearly $6 billion according to comScore, setting a new single-week record. The market research firm on Sunday released its estimates for online spending so far during the holiday shopping season, and it is reporting significant year-on-year increases across the board. Total spending between November 1st and December 2nd is up 15% over 2010 to $18.7 billion and Cyber Week spending also grew 15% to approximately $6 billion. Online shopping on Thanksgiving day grew 18% to $479 million, Black Friday sales online were up 26% to $816 million and Cyber Monday sales grew 22% to $1.3 billion. ”Cyber Monday kicked the week off with a bang as consumers opened their wallets to the tune of $1.25 billion, but it was only the beginning of a very strong week of online holiday spending,” comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement. “Tuesday and Wednesday followed with billion dollar spending days, helping Cyber Week reach a record weekly total of nearly $6 billion in spending.” ComScore’s full press release follows below.

$6 Billion in ‘Cyber Week’ U.S. Online Spending Sets New Weekly Record as Three Individual Days Surpass $1 Billion Threshold

Free Shipping Incentive Used on Nearly Two-Thirds of Online Transactions During Most Recent Two Weeks

RESTON, VA, December 4, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 32 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $18.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week saw three individual days eclipse $1 billion in spending, led by Cyber Monday, which became the heaviest online spending day on record at $1.25 billion. Tuesday, November 29 reached $1.12 billion, while Wednesday, November 30 reached $1.03 billion. These three billion dollar spending days currently rank as three of the four heaviest online spending days in history (with Cyber Monday 2010 being the other).

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 2	$16,257	$18,697	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Week Ending Dec. 2	$5,164	$5,959	15%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 3, 2010)

“Cyber Monday kicked the week off with a bang as consumers opened their wallets to the tune of $1.25 billion, but it was only the beginning of a very strong week of online holiday spending,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Tuesday and Wednesday followed with billion dollar spending days, helping Cyber Week reach a record weekly total of nearly $6 billion in spending. As the deals from this week expire, it will be important to see the degree to which consumers return to the same retailers to continue their holiday shopping, thereby helping improve retailers’ profit margins, or if we experience a pullback in consumer spending – which has occurred in previous years – before promotional offers and spending intensity pick back up in earnest around mid-December.”

Free Shipping Surges to Record Levels

One of the most prevalent holiday season promotions used by online retailers is free shipping, which typically peaks around the Cyber Monday period. comScore’s analysis of the incidence of free shipping used for online retail transactions shows that this incentive is being used at record levels over the first few weeks of the holiday season. Throughout the 2011 holiday season, more than half of all transactions have included free shipping with rates increasing later into the season. The week of Thanksgiving (week ending Nov. 27) saw free shipping occur on 64.4 percent of transactions, while Cyber Week has maintained a similar level at 63.2 percent. In each case, these rates were approximately 10 percentage points higher than last year.

Weekly Holiday Free Shipping Analysis vs. Corresponding Weeks* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Week Ending	Percentage of Transactions with Free Shipping
	2010	2011	Point Change
11/6/2011	41.8%	52.2%	+10.4
11/13/2011	44.7%	51.2%	+6.5
11/20/2011	50.2%	56.0%	+5.8
11/27/2011	55.0%	64.4%	+9.4
12/4/2011**	52.2%	63.2%	+11.0

*Corresponding weeks based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 5, 2010)
**Data based on partial week of data thru Dec. 2, 2011

“Free shipping is one of the most important incentives that online retailers must provide during the holiday season to ensure that shoppers will convert into buyers,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “Consumers have come to expect free shipping during the holiday promotion periods, and retailers, in turn, have realized that they must offer this incentive if they want to maximize their share of consumer spending – especially at the outset of the shopping season. In fact, more than three-quarters of consumers say that free shipping is important to them when making an online purchase, and nearly half say they will abandon their shopping cart at checkout if they find free shipping is not being offered.”

The Importance of Free Shipping to Online Shoppers

As part of comScore’s annual holiday shopping survey of consumers, approximately 1,000 Internet users were asked about the importance of free shipping to their online purchase decisions. More than one-third of respondents (36 percent) indicated that free shipping was “very important” and that they would not make a purchase without it, underscoring the imperative for retailers to offer this incentive during the holidays. An additional 42 percent said that free shipping was “somewhat important” and that they actively seek out free shipping deals. Only 15 percent of respondents indicated that free shipping was not particularly influential in their purchase decision.

Q: “When making a purchase online this holiday season, which of the following statements best describes how important free shipping is to you?” November 29-December 1, 2011, n=1,013 Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore 2011 Holiday Survey
Response	Percentage of Respondents
Very important – I will not make a purchase without it	36%
Somewhat important – I actively seek out free shipping deals	42%
Neither important nor unimportant – I would like to find it, but do not require it	12%
Somewhat unimportant – free shipping has very little effect on my purchase decision	1%
Very unimportant – I will make my purchase regardless of shipping costs	2%
Don’t know/not sure	6%

Despite its cost to retailers, free shipping also has a couple of important benefits to online retailers. First, it tends to generate higher average order values, which helps retailers to at least partially offset lower margins. Second, this incentive has for four years had its own marketing event – ‘Free Shipping Day’ (Friday, December 16 this year) – when thousands of merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve, and in past years Free Shipping Day has helped bolster online spending activity later into the season. Last year’s Free Shipping Day, for example, was the third heaviest online spending day of the year at $942 million, representing a dramatic 61 percent increase over the corresponding shopping day the previous year

U.S. consumers spent a record $1.25 billion online on Cyber Monday, the second time the U.S. has ever spent more than $1 billion online in a single day and a 22% increase from the amount spent last year. “While last year saw Cyber Monday rank as the heaviest online spending day of the year for the first time ever, it will be interesting to watch the next couple of weeks to see if any future individual days in 2011 manage to leapfrog this year’s highest day-to-date,” comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said. 50.2% the money spent on Cyber Monday originated from a work computer, comScore noted. 43.2% of the Cyber Monday spending was attributed to users buying goods from home and U.S. consumers abroad spent 6.6% of the overall Cyber Monday total. ComScore’s study also found that $15 billion has been spent online for the holiday-season-to-date, a 15% increase from the same time period last year. In comparison to Cyber Monday, $479 million was spent online on Thanksgiving Day, $816 million was spent on Black Friday and just over $1 billion was spent during the holiday weekend. ComScore’s full press release follows after the break.

Cyber Monday Spending Hits $1.25 Billion to Rank as Heaviest U.S. Online Spending Day in History
Cyber Monday 2011 Marks 2nd Billion Dollar Spending Day on Record, Eclipsing Cyber Monday 2010

RESTON, VA, November 29, 2011– comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season U.S. retail e-commerce spending for the first 28 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $15 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. Cyber Monday reached $1.25 billion in online spending, up 22 percent versus year ago, representing the heaviest online spending day in history and the second day on record to surpass the billion-dollar threshold.

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – 28	$13,008	$15,020	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru November 29, 2010)

“Cyber Monday was yet another historic day for e-commerce, with online spending reaching a record $1.25 billion,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “It was just the second billion dollar spending day on record, following on the heels of Cyber Monday 2010. While last year saw Cyber Monday rank as the heaviest online spending day of the year for the first time ever, it will be interesting to watch the next couple of weeks to see if any future individual days in 2011 manage to leapfrog this year’s highest day-to-date.”

Cyber Monday Sales Growth Driven by both Buyers and Spending per Buyer

Cyber Monday’s 22-percent growth in sales versus year ago was driven by an increase in both the number of buyers (up 11 percent) and the average spending per buyer (up 9 percent). Overall, 10 million people bought online on Cyber Monday, representing the first time on record that threshold has been reached in a single day. The average online buyer conducted 1.9 online transactions on Cyber Monday for a total of nearly $125 in spending.

Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth Cyber Monday 2011 vs. Cyber Monday 2010 Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Cyber Monday 2010	Cyber Monday 2011	Percent Change
Dollar Sales ($ Millions)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Buyers (Millions)	9.0	10.0	11%
Dollars per Buyer	$114.24	$124.82	9%
Dollars per Transaction	$60.05	$66.97	12%
Transactions (Millions)	17.1	18.7	9%
Transactions per Buyer	1.90	1.86	-2%

Shopping at Work Accounts for 50 Percent of Cyber Monday Spending

Half of dollars spent online at U.S. Web sites originated from work computers, up slightly from last year. Buying from home comprised the majority of the remaining share (43.2 percent) while buying at U.S. Web sites from international locations accounted for 6.6 percent of sales.

Breakdown of Cyber Monday Spending Growth by Location Cyber Monday 2011 vs. Cyber Monday 2010 Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Cyber Monday 2010	Cyber Monday 2011	Point Change
Home (incl. University)	45.0%	43.2%	-1.8
Work	49.2%	50.2%	+1.0
International	5.8%	6.6%	+0.8
Total	100.0%	100.0%	N/A

“The Cyber Monday phenomenon originated from the significant spike in e-commerce activity that traditionally occurred following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with many consumers turning to their work computers to continue their holiday gift buying – and that pattern still exists today,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “Looking forward to the balance of the season, it will be very important to continue to monitor the trend in consumer spending to determine the degree to which retailers’ heavy promotional activity at the beginning of the shopping season, and consumers’ encouraging response, has pulled forward consumers’ future buying. When all is said and done, it will also be vital to see whether retailers’ deals and price discounting, which consumers are now able to discover via so many different digital media channels, will have a negative impact on retailers’ margins this holiday season.”

Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet has been a big seller for the online retailer so far, maintaining the top spot on the Amazon.com best-sellers list for eight weeks running. Despite the slate’s already low price tag, at least two retailers are offering deep discounts on the new tablet at a number of physical locations. Both Walmart and Target have been selling the Kindle Fire for just $123 over the holiday weekend, and some stores may have extended the sale pricing into Monday. Several forum users on Slickdeals also say they have been able to get their local Best Buy and Staples retailer stores to match the sale pricing. The Kindle Fire sale has not been advertised, however, so some retailers will not match the special offer.

UPDATE: Several readers have contacted us claiming the $123 pricing is fake. BGR has not yet been able to confirm these claims.

[Via DroidMatters]

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Brick and mortar shopaholics have so few places to turn for an adrenaline rush these days thanks to the advent of online shopping, but Black Friday always promises to be a battle that tests even the most seasoned shopper’s will. Anxious consumers line up early outside their retailers of choice and prepare to push, shove, crawl and even trample their way to some of the deepest discounts of the year. It’s no holds barred and things are bound to get dirty, but those who plan to work off their Thanksgiving feasts by throwing elbows and sprinting from store to store had better get their game faces on and go in prepared. Following the break, we lay out all the top tech retailers in the country and link you to the tools you need to map out your plan of attack. Good luck, be safe, and Godspeed.

Best Buy Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

BJ’s Wholesale Club Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 7:00 AM

Costco Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 9:00 AM

GameStop Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Kmart Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 5:00 AM

RadioShack Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors Open: 5:30 AM

Sam’s Club Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

Staples Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 6:00 AM

Target Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Walmart Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Bonus

For those who would rather not fight through angry mobs of sale-hungry consumers, feel free to enjoy Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from the comfort of your desk or couch.

Amazon Black Friday 2011 sale details

AmazonWireless Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: Always

There is no need to wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to get a new smartphone at a great price. Amazon is now offering every smartphone it carries for AT&T, Verizon or Sprint for as low as $0.01 with a new contract. To be clear, you’ll need to sign up for a new line or be a new customer with one of the carriers, otherwise you’ll pay standard upgrade pricing. The promotion includes most new high-end smartphone models such as the DROID RAZR, the Galaxy S II, the HTC Rezound 4G, the Samsung Focus S, the BlackBerry Bold 9930 and more. Unfortunately, you’ll need to purchase an iPhone elsewhere: Amazon’s AmazonWireless subsidiary doesn’t carry the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. Amazon is also offering a $100 “Hotspot Holidays” promotion in which customers who sign up for a hotspot data plan will receive a $100 Amazon.com credit. The penny special begins now and ends on Cyber Monday, November 28th.

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Black Friday is shaping up to be huge for consumers shopping on mobile devices this year, and it looks like consumers shopping for mobile devices will be abundant as well. A new survey conducted by Retrevo.com found that Black Friday bargain hunters will be on the look out for tablets more so than any other gadget next Friday. Among those polled, 32% said they would be hunting for a Black Friday deal on a tablet this holiday season. 25% of respondents said they would scout for deals on HDTVs, 24% said they would be looking for deals on laptops and 19% plan to hunt for deals on smartphones this Black Friday. Read on for more.

“Would you get up at four o’clock in the morning to get a deal on a tablet or laptop computer?” Retrevo wondered in a post on its blog. “Apparently there are plenty of bargain hunters who plan of braving the elements this Black Friday to buy electronic things. Although we don’t expect to see too many doorbuster deals on iPads or even other tablets, it’s at the top of the bargain hunter’s list this year.”

When asked about the one gadget respondents would most like to receive as a gift this holiday season, tablets dominated yet again. Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire were tied atop the list, each having been named by 10% of those surveyed. Smartphones filled the No.2 spot with 9%, HDTVs were mentioned by 8% of respondents and laptops and digital cameras were tied with 6%. Only 4% of those polled said that an Amazon Kindle eReader was their ideal gift.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are typically two of the biggest shopping days of the year, and as consumers continue to use mobile devices more frequently to make online purchases, 2011 is shaping up to be huge for mobile shopping. A new study from ad network InMobi found that an estimated 60 million people will use a mobile device to bargain-hunt this coming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and 21 million of them will make purchases on their devices. ”The study highlights that mobile is cannibalizing desktop shopping and shows that mobile devices will be a critical tool in all facets of shopping this holiday season,” InMobi VP Anne Frisbie said in a statement. ”It will be ubiquitous both in the store and online, and successful brands and advertisers have a tremendous opportunity to differentiate themselves by creating an exceptional mobile experience.” More findings from the study follow below in InMobi’s full press release.

InMobi: Thanksgiving 2011 to Be Biggest Yet for Mobile Shopping

Nearly 60 Million Mobile Users to Shop on their Mobile Phones on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile ad network, announces the results of a study on mobile consumers’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping intentions.  The Holiday Mobile Shopping Study* finds that 2011 will be the biggest yet, with an estimated 60 million mobile users planning to utilize their devices during the upcoming holiday weekend, over 21 million (36%) with the intention to make purchases directly from their mobile handset.

The study uncovers that during Cyber Monday—traditionally dedicated to online shopping—a staggering 42% of mobile shoppers plan to use mobile devices to shop or research sales while on the move.

Commenting on the findings, Anne Frisbie, VP & Managing Director, North America, InMobi, said: “The study highlights that mobile is cannibalizing desktop shopping and shows that mobile devices will be a critical tool in all facets of shopping this holiday season.  It will be ubiquitous both in the store and online, and successful brands and advertisers have a tremendous opportunity to differentiate themselves by creating an exceptional mobile experience.”

Key highlights from the study include:

• Price comparison shopping on mobile devices will more than double to 45%, up from 22% in 2010
• 29% of mobile users will use mobile devices to learn about new products or services, and 27% will use their phone when making a purchasing decision
• 15% of shoppers will use their mobile device to make a purchase on their device while in a store

The study questioned mobile users on the types of information that they are likely to research from their mobile devices during the holiday weekend.  Responses were as follows:

Information likely to be researched from mobile	% of mobile users
Updates on sales and promotions	31%
Local store hours and directions	27%
Product information and availability	26%
Product photos	26%
Official retailer apps	18%
Customer support	17%
Other	17%

Frisbie added: “The clear upward trend to mobile shopping further empowers the consumer. Savvy shoppers price check products in-store, putting added pressure on brick-and-mortar retailers to remain competitive.  As a consequence, we expect some great deals this holiday as there is increased competition among retailers on the high street.”

About the study

InMobi conducted an on device survey among 907 US mobile users, questioning planned behavior over the upcoming holiday season.  The survey was conduced Oct 28th to Nov 4th 2011; the data is representative of all major platforms in the US market, including Android and iOS.

Forecasted numbers are based on percentage of respondents against the current total number of US mobile users, 123 million users, comScore, November 2011.

Looking for more excuses to avoid battling the Black Friday crowd? How’s this for a deal: the Dell Mobility Store will pay you $25 to take an HTC DROID Incredible — seriously. Dell is currently offering Verizon Wireless’ HTC DROID Incredible for free with a 2-year activation. Shipping is also free, and Verizon’s activation fee is waived. On top of all that, you’ll get a complimentary $25 Dell gift card with your order. We’re not sure there’s a better deal to be found right now. Of course the DROID Incredible is a little long in the tooth these days, and we’re not sure its specs will be overly competitive in 2 months let alone 2 years. But for the smartphone lightweight in your life who just needs a decent device, Dell’s deal is as good as it gets.

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You’re still stuffed from a supersized feast the day before but you manage to pry yourself out of bed hours ahead of sunrise. A quick shower does little to wash off the shame brought on by having ingested five slices of pumpkin pie, but at least it helps to wake you up. As you exit your home and click the unlock button on your car’s key fob, your mind strays as you think of a hundred different reasons to go back inside and get back in bed. But you can’t. Your local retailers are calling to you from afar. The urge to save is too strong.  There is no turning back… It’s Black Friday.

If you plan on going to war this Friday, you had better be armed — and that’s where your pals at BGR come in. In our Black Friday 2010 guide, we lay out your 10 best local deal wielders and give you links to all the ammo you need. This way, instead of flying blind, you can put together a strategy and score all the gadgets you can carry at the deepest discounts of the year. Good luck, be safe, and Godspeed.

BEST BUY Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

BJ’s WHOLESALE CLUB Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 7:00 AM

COSTCO Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 9:00 AM

GAMESTOP Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

KMART Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

RADIOSHACK Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors Open: 5:30 AM

SAM’S CLUB Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

STAPLES Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 6:00 AM

TARGET Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 4:00 AM

WALMART Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

Bonus

For those who would rather not fight through angry mobs of sale-hungry consumers, feel free to enjoy Amazon.com’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from the comfort of your desk or couch.

AMAZON Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: Always

Black Friday is behind us now, thankfully, but that doesn’t mean the savings are going to stop any time soon. Electronics retail stores are hurting just like everyone else in today’s troubled times and as such, expect huge deals from the big boys in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Along those lines, Best Buy and Circuit City have both made their Cyber Monday deals available beginning today and it might be the perfect time to take a huge bite out of your holiday shopping. Special deals at both retailers can be found through COB tomorrow, although don’t be too upset if you can’t find the time to head down to your local store or even browse the sale sections online. There will be plenty more deals to come in December as retailers do everything in their power to get you to fork over some cash, even if it means watching their profit margins dwindle.

Read (Best Buy)
Read (Circuit City)