It happens to the best of holidays.  Commercialization.  Even George Washington and Abraham Lincoln haven’t escaped the extreme cliche of "Huge Savings" on Presidents Day.  Thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the same holds true for Thanksgiving.  On a global scale.

Blame it on Christmas.  The shopping we need to achieve between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day sets us into a frenzy that can only be squelched with sales, discounts and mail-in rebates.  Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to say squelched.  I meant to say emblazoned.

Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday around the world.  As a holiday that isn’t actually specific to America, however, American companies are still finding ways to increase sales on a worldwide scale.  Online shopping has become part of our human nature, and the ability to  bargain hunt with just a few clicks of the mouse or flicks of the thumb means a more competitive market for capitalism.

Borne in part of the popularity of Black Friday and the required retail acknowledgment of an upcoming holiday, Cyber Monday has all but surpassed the success of Black Friday.  It’s easier to sit at home in front of the computer and shop than it is to stand for hours in line with more than a few extra layers of clothing, taking turns for coffee and potty breaks.

The convenience of Cyber Monday discounts exceeds those presented with Black Friday in the offline world, and shoppers in other countries have taken notice.  Online shoppers in the UK are expected to spend 300 million pounds on Cyber Monday 2009, and that’s exactly the type of behavior retailers need from their global consumers.  With ongoing initiatives to market holiday shopping through online social media outlets and increased efforts to push mobile shopping and payments as well, retailers fully recognize the potential of such a widening market in our current economy.

Will this make Black Friday obsolete in the end?  Eventually.  The novelty of trampling suburban moms and bringing home black eye badges will wear off, because convenience typically wins out.  The convenience of focusing efforts on Cyber Monday online shopping will be recognized for both retailers and consumers.  This is especially true with mobile marketing and sales, as smartphone platforms provide better methods for streamlining communication and services between retailers and consumers.

We’re already seeing retailers move towards this trend, with early and extended "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" sales occurring on Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  Retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon are especially forward in pushing additional sales opportunities for consumers to take advantage of.  As they are some of the most widely used retailers for holiday shopping, they help to set the standard for other retailers to follow.