Smartphones And Tablets Led The Charge Toward Record-Setting Cyber Monday

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Cyber Monday Sales Reach Record Highs On The Strength Of Mobile (Bloomberg)
Cyber Monday, the e-commerce response to bricks-and-mortar Black Friday retail promotions, continues to surge in popularity.

In total, sales on Cyber Monday this year grew 19% compared to sales in 2012, thanks in large part to shoppers who used their mobile devices to make purchases.

According to an email sent to Bloomberg from IBM, mobile accounted for 30% of all Cyber Monday site traffic and, in turn, 16% of all Cyber Monday sales were made from a tablet or smartphone. The site traffic from mobile grew 58% compared to last year.

On the other hand, Black Friday sales at physical retail outlets actually declined for the first time since the recession-stricken year 2009. Cyber Monday, especially on mobile devices, is truly becoming a factor in holiday shopping.

We expect mobile commerce to finish the year with a new high 13% share of total e-commerce in the fourth quarter of 2013. Read >

In other news...

IDC told Bloomberg that they expect total PC shipments to fall 10.1% for the year, which would mark the highest ever annual decline in shipments for the PC market. (Bloomberg)

Apple has acquired Topsy, a social analytics firm, for close to $200 million. Speculation surrounding the acquisition points to Apple incorporating Topsy's algorithm into iTunes Radio, the App Store, and to give Siri a recommendations boost. (TechCrunch)

Apple is also looking to expand the presence of its iPad in India. A report from the country's publication, The Economic Times, claims that in order to gain market share, Apple may launch a buyback scheme to promote the new iPad Air and iPad Mini models in India. (The Economic Times)

Tumblr is adding to its mobile monetization strategy by bringing "sponsored" trending blogs. These trending blogs will appear under the Explore tab in Tumblr's mobile apps. (The Verge)

Google Glass has received an official version of the Play Music app. This comes on the heels of an announcement about Google earbuds designed specifically to fit Google Glass. Clearly, Google is starting with music to make Glass become a mobile media consumption vehicle. (CNet)