Retail Satire
Most Shoppers Skip Cyber 5; Marketers Plan Around It Anyway
Nearly three-quarters of shoppers did most holiday buying outside the five days. Most marketers' plans did not notice.
Based on real news: News Briefs - Oct 29, 2026 (Chain Store Age)
NEW YORK—Nearly three-quarters of U.S. shoppers surveyed by Acoustic did most of their holiday buying outside the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, while 69% of retail marketers said they build holiday plans around those dates, according to Chain Store Age. Only 22% of shoppers called most holiday messages relevant; 46% of marketers said theirs were.
"I got 31 emails about a sale on a slow cooker I bought in October," said a fictional shopper in Dayton, Ohio (small appliances, aisle 14, top shelf).
I got 31 emails about a sale on a slow cooker I bought in October…
Marketers said they would discuss the findings at their annual planning meeting, which is held every year on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
More on Acoustic
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Riffing on: News Briefs - Oct 29, 2026, Chain Store Age