For the first time, Google will now share smartphone users’ Black Friday shopping patterns with advertisers. It is estimated that 82% of smartphone users will research, browse and compare products to find the best prices this Friday. Google is taking advantage of this trend by sharing mobile users’ location history and search trends.
According to Google, shopping traffic peaks between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Black Friday. Electronics and mobile phones are the top purchases made by shoppers and stores that sell these items tend to have the highest foot traffic. Also, stores that now open on Thanksgiving Day have seen an increase in traffic between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Larger shopping centers such as malls, superstores and department stores have the highest traffic on the weekend before Christmas, not Thanksgiving weekend. However dollar stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Family Dollar receive the most traffic on Christmas Eve.
Now that Google has made this unprecedented move, what does it mean to the average Jack or Jill with a phone? It means Big Brother is getting bigger all the time. If that fact bothers you, perhaps it’s time to get off the grid altogether. The rest of us need to look on the bright side. We’re able to use our smartphones to secure the best deals on items in which we’re interested. And the more people spend during the holidays, the more the economy is stimulated, thus creating greater employment opportunities.