There was something quite extraordinary about the Thanksgiving shopping weekend this year - and it had nothing to do with long lines.

Quite the contrary. For the first time ever, there were more people who kicked back and shopped online rather than trekked to the nearest store in search of a deal. According to the National Retail Federation, 103 million consumers bought items online versus 102 million in-store, demonstrating a key tipping point in how shoppers go about getting their beloved holiday items.

By all accounts, the Best Buys, Targets and Walmarts of the world were a lot less jammed this year as most consumers preferred to catch that great Black Friday sale via their desktop computer or mobile app. Some shoppers even quipped on social media that the crowds at Macy's and Target were typical of a normal weekend sale.

But in reality, this seismic shift toward online has been building for years. We've all heard about the showrooming trend, in which shoppers peruse the aisles of retailers only to purchase the merchandise cheaper online. Yet these days, there's even more to the equation. For one, there is super-fast shipping, allowing consumers to get many items within a day or two. There's also the 'buy online, pick up in store' option, which offers shoppers a great online price with the convenience of getting the merchandise the same day in-store.

But then there's this: Many consumers just like the idea of shopping online better. Think of it like the texting craze. Why go through the lengths of making a phone call when you can say what you need to say in a short message?

The NRF summed it up the phenomenon perfectly:

'The Thanksgiving weekend shopping experience is much different than it used to be as just as many people want that unique, exclusive online deal as they do that in-store promotion,' said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. 'Retail is in the middle of an incredible revolution and evolution.'

And there's no bigger poster child of this shift to online than Amazon. The retailer did it big over the holiday weekend, accounting for more than a third of online Black Friday sales. Not only were sales of its Amazon-branded a record, the company further bolstered its sales by offering 'Deals of the Day' through its mobile app.

THE NEED FOR AN ONLINE STRATEGY

With shopping habits shifting toward online, retailers must be prepared to compete with zeal on the Internet, whether it's Black Friday - or any other day. Stores should not only strive to offer a good price, they need to have the right products on hand, the right assortments of those items and the right marketing to pique consumer interest.

Retailers should now be asking themselves: What's selling where? What should I stock in store? How do I work with my suppliers to ensure that I'm carrying what customers want?

SPS Commerce can help retailers answer these questions and more by giving them insight into where products perform. While these changes in retailing are dramatic, stores that can effectively serve the wants and needs of the digital shopper will ultimately be the ones that flourish.

If you are retailer looking to boost your online strategy, see how SPS can help today!

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