Green Monday is secretly one of the biggest days for the retail industry — but it could die soon (WMT, AMAZN)

Green monday

Green Monday, which falls on December 11 this year, is the online version of Super Saturday. It's the day when everyone panics about getting their online purchases in time for Christmas.
That has made it the biggest online shopping event of December — and one of the biggest of the year.
With new shipping guarantees, however, the importance of the holiday may be fading away.

Green Monday doesn't have quite the fanfare surrounding it that Black Friday and Cyber Monday do, but that doesn't make it any less important.

Traditionally, it's the day when shoppers wake up and realize that if they're going to order a gift for someone online, they'd better get on it.

Ebay coined the term "Green Monday" more than a decade ago after it noticed an uptick in orders on a particular day. It traditionally falls on the second Monday in December, the last day with at least 10 days left to order before Christmas. This year, it's December 11.

Think of it like Super Saturday for online shoppers who wait until the last minute.

Green Monday has become the biggest online shopping day in December, and one of the biggest of the year. In 2016, online sales on Green Monday were their highest ever at $1.6 billion. That number now pales in comparison to the staggering $2.9 billion in online sales that were produced on Thanksgiving this year, but it's significant nonetheless.

Since it is a lesser-known shopping holiday, there are not as many advertised deals on Green Monday. Target and Walmart both have landing pages dedicated to it, but the deals themselves are not likely to have an individual Green Monday tag or emblem on them. Ebay still has a page for its Green Monday deals, however.

Shoppers can expect some deals to peek through, but those looking for discounts as vast and deep as Black Friday may be disappointed.

And, Green Monday's importance may be fading as more retailers embrace fast, free shipping. With the two-day shipping guarantee that comes with an Amazon Prime membership, and Walmart's two-day shipping offering with any $35 purchase, there may not be a compelling reason for last-minute shoppers to click check-out on Monday. Walmart and Amazon combine for the lion's share of all online purchases, especially during the holidays.

It's unclear how much longer people will think that they still need a lead time of at least 10 days to order presents for Christmas.

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