Millions of American workers are preparing to pounce on deals from their desks on Cyber Monday, one of the holiday season's busiest days.
More than half of employees - 3 in 5 full-time employees - plan to scout Cyber Monday deals while on the clock this year, according to a new national survey of 1,000 full-time workers that CouponFollow shared exclusively with USA TODAY.
For these tab-toggling workers, the dopamine rush of deal-hunting will temporarily tank productivity. Seven in 10 workers say they don't feel guilty because "everyone does it."
On-the-job shoppers fuel Cyber Monday deals
Scoring a few deals can be a pick-me-up during the holidays when many people are overwhelmed by the competing demands of family and work. On-the-clock shopping can also deliver a jolt of accomplishment, sometimes missing from the workday.
On average, these on-the-job shoppers plan to spend $214 on Cyber Monday, according to CouponFollow. Men expect to outspend women.
Blame the convenience and instant gratification of online shopping for its rise during work hours. Laptops and mobile phones are the gateway to the mall, minus the crowded parking lots and the checkout lines.
As Black Friday holiday shopping spilled over into the following week, the week of Cyber Monday turned into a retail blockbuster. In 2024, it generated $76 billion in U.S. sales, more than four times Black Friday, according to Salesforce data.
"As consumers started engaging in online workday shopping the week after Thanksgiving, retailers started following consumers with special promotions and deals," said Kirthi Kalyanam, executive director of the Retail Management Institute at Santa Clara University.
How much time do workers spend shopping?
Today, retailers count on these cubicle sales, stuffing inboxes and social media feeds with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals starting in the fall, priming shoppers to have their trigger fingers at the ready in between - or even during - assignments and meetings.
Marketing emails often land in the middle of the workday, retail experts say. Another common lure? Midday exclusive product drops.
Nearly half (45%) of employees admit they have shopped or waited in line for these drops while at work, CouponFollow found.
On average, full-time employees spend 2.4 hours online shopping during work every week. That works out to 16 workdays spent shopping every year.
Nearly a third - 31% - admit to shopping online during work meetings.
Shopping online while at work can have consequences. One in 4 employees says they have been caught in the act by a coworker or manager, according to CouponFollow.