Benzinga - by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Cyber Monday is in full force, as retailers and e-commerce companies stand to benefit from shifts of consumers spending more time and money on online shopping versus at physical retailers.
Here's the data and the potential winners.
What Happened: A new report from Adobe calls for 2023 Cyber Monday sales to hit $12 billion to $12.4 billion. The report comes as consumers grip with high inflation and macroeconomic concerns as they complete their 2023 holiday shopping.
The report calls for Cyber Monday sales to increase 5.4% over last year.
Holiday spending from Nov. 1 to Nov. 24 was an estimated $86.6 billion, according to the report, which was up 4.8% year-over-year.
Cyber Monday has traditionally attracted online shoppers who wish to avoid holiday crowds.
"We are seeing very strong discounts," Adobe Digital Insights lead analyst Vivek Pandya said, as shared by Reuters. "You have consumers out there who are very price-sensitive and conscientious and who want to make sure they get the very best possible deal."
Cyber Monday follows Black Friday, when the stock market closes early. The day saw record online sales, which were up 7.5% year-over-year to $9.8 billion.
While Black Friday remains an important shopping holiday for retailers, the trends continue to shift to more consumers buying items online during the holiday shopping season.
"I do think the paradigm has changed around the in-store Black Friday experience, the long lines and things like that," Pandya told CNBC.
Pandya said discounts could weaken after Cyber Monday and with retailers working to control inventory, several hot ticket items could sell out before last-minute shoppers are able to grab them.
Related Link: Black Friday Sales Surge Despite Economic Uncertainties
The Cyber Monday Winners: The 2023 holiday shopping season could see many winners among retail and e-commerce stocks.
E-commerce leader Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is expected to be among the winners of the 2023 holiday shopping season. The e-commerce retailer began celebrating Cyber Monday with deals on Saturday, likely capturing additional sales ahead of Monday's shopping event.
Retailer Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) is one of the largest retailers in the world and often a winner during the holiday shopping season. With consumers more conscious of prices and costs of gifts this holiday season, Walmart could be a standout winner.
Another potential winner from higher Cyber Monday and online shopping could be Affirm Holdings (NASDAQ:AFRM), a leading buy now, pay later company. According to Adobe, Buy Now Pay Later spending is expected to rise in 2023 and was up 7.5% on Black Friday.
Affirm shares are up 13% to $29.78 on Monday, hitting new 52-week highs. The 2023 holiday shopping season could lead to a resurgence in buy now, pay later thanks to higher ticket items and consumers being stretched thin due to inflation.
Among the items mentioned by Adobe as being hot products for the 2023 holiday shopping season include Roblox, a popular video game from Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX). Roblox gift cards are expected to be another hot ticket item as a gift, with players of the game spending on in-app purchases frequently.
Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP) could stand to benefit from the increased e-commerce spending as a leader in the space and the company that powers many online stores. Shares of Shopify are up 5% to $73.73 on Monday, hitting new 52-week highs. Shopify President Harley Finkelstein said Monday that Shopify merchants had $4.1 billion in sales on Black Friday, which was up 22% year-over-year. Peak sales on Black Friday hit $4.2 million per minute for Shopify merchants according to Finkelstein.
Read Next: 2023 Holiday Shopping: Black Friday Survey Reveals Amazon, Walmart As Winners
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