The Daily Valet. - 11/29/21, Monday
✔️ How This Became a Thing
Monday, November 29th Edition
I’ll be honest, I was not ready for Monday yet.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
How Cyber Monday Became a Thing
It’s evolved to become the most profitable day for online shopping in U.S. history
Since 2005, the first “official” Cyber Monday, the event has evolved and grown into what is historically the biggest day for online shopping sales every year. Just how big are we talking? Last year, Americans spent more than $9 billion online for Cyber Monday, making it the biggest e-commerce sales day in the country. But how did such a “holiday” come to be?
Thank the National Retail Federation, who coined the term in 2005. For several years in a row, the NRF had noticed a recurring spike in online revenue and traffic on the Monday following Thanksgiving.
They believed it was because people were making purchases from their computers at work, where the internet connections were faster and their kids couldn’t get a sneak peek at their gifts. The group considered calling the new online shopping holiday Black Monday (after Black Friday) or Blue Monday, (after blue hyperlinks). But the former also refers to the day world stock markets crashed, and the latter sounded a little too depressing.
Since we now have access to the internet almost all the time on our phones, tablets, laptops, watches and smart home devices, the original rationale behind Cyber Monday is “a bit archaic,” a marketing professor told CNBC. But its legacy remains: Cyber Monday established a new type of holiday sale—one that occurred exclusively online—and stretched out the timeline of the shopping weekend.
And by 2014, it was officially too big to ignore. That year Cyber Monday became the biggest online shopping day in the country, raking in over $2 billion in sales. And each year since the bar has been raised.
In case you’re wondering, the Valet. team has rounded up the best sales and discount codes for Cyber Monday and will be sending them out shortly. There are so many, in fact, that they will be broken up into two emails today.
↦ Meanwhile: Online spending on Black Friday decreased for the very first time, ever.
About That New Variant ...
What people in the know are saying about the Omicron coronavirus variant
Here we go again? Over the weekend, nations severed air links from southern Africa amid fears of another global surge of COVID-19. Scientists scrambled on Sunday to gather data on the new Omicron variant, its capabilities and—most importantly—how effective the current vaccines are against it.
After convening a group of experts to assess the data, the WHO said that “preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant,” as compared to other variants. That means people who contracted the coronavirus and recovered could be subject to catching it again.
Canadian officials announced Sunday that the variant has reached North America. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Saturday on NBC's “Weekend TODAY” that the variant could already be in the U.S.
The vaccines may well continue to ward off severe illness and death, although booster doses may be needed to protect most people. Still, the makers of the two most effective vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are preparing to reformulate their shots if necessary.
↦ Dig Deeper: How worried should we be about this variant? Reuters offers up this helpful explainer.
Partner
When you look at your gift list, is there anyone who wouldn't say they're overworked and under-slept? This will help.
Grieving the Death of Virgil Abloh
A genius, gone way too soon
Virgil Abloh, who rose from American streetwear savant to become the artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, and guru to millions with his own label, Off-White, died on Sunday. He had been privately battling a rare cancer of the heart since 2019.
Just 41, and a first-generation Ghanaian-American who had been the creative director to his friend and collaborator Kanye West, Abloh was that rare thing in fashion: a name-brand designer whose influence was felt by regular guys.
As Rachel Tashjian at GQ puts it, “he was the shaman for a generation of young men who obsess over fashion the way previous generations of young men obsessed over sports or music. He encouraged men to cultivate a love for clothes, teaching them to see fashion as a subculture deserving of scrutiny and study like any other.”
And while his groundbreaking designs will be studied for decades, his kindness and curiosity is what will surely be remembered. For his first Vuitton show, he created an enormous runway and lined it with fans and students he had invited to join. This inclusivity, this connection was always at the core of Abloh's artistic vision.
↦ Paying Tribute: Fans and friends sent their condolences, including celebrity tweets remembering the trailblazing designer.
BMW Brings Back Classic Logo
Digging into the archives for a new old badge just in time for a special anniversary
The BMW M division is 50 years old in 2022, and BMW showed off what's in store to help celebrate the milestone. Last week, the company revealed a throwback badge and some very cool color options coming to M-badged cars next year.
According to Road Show, the badge recalls the classic “BMW Motorsports” emblem seen on plenty of vintage BMW beasts from back in the day. The standard BMW badge remains, but the iconic M hashmark colors encircle the emblem. It's a thoughtful touch, right?
This version was first used in 1973 on BMW Motorsport's racing cars. BMW says the colors represent BMW (blue), racing (red), and the way the two are connected (violet). On top of the trip through the design history books, BMW said 2022 will be an exciting year—exactly what that encompasses has not yet been revealed.
But BMW isn't alone. As automakers transition their lineups to become electric only, several brands have sought to reinvent themselves by redesigning their iconic logos, reports Car and Driver. Cadillac just unveiled a new monochromatic version of their classic logo for its upcoming arsenal of EVs.
↦ FYI: Here are 10 iconic '80s cars you can buy on the cheap.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Who couldn’t use a personalized digital wellness dashboard?
When you look at your gift list, is there anyone who wouldn't say they're overworked and under-slept? We're all stressed and could maybe be eating better and working out a little more. Which is to say, we're all looking to get back on track and get into better shape to feel our best. Which is exactly what InsideTracker does best. Founded in 2009 by experts in aging, genetics and biometric data, from Harvard, MIT and Tufts, science is the backbone of this technical health service.
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Special Promotion
The Foolproof Shoes for Anyone on Your List
What’s something you can get anyone on your list that’s all but guaranteed to please? A good pair of shoes. Think about it. Who wouldn't like another pair? Especially when they're from SeaVees. The California-based brand honors its mid-century heritage by drawing inspiration from the company's archive and using time-tested production methods. The end result is footwear that's timeless, stylish and consciously crafted. What's more, there are options to suit everyone's personal tastes—from the coziest house slides to some rugged weather-resistant boots. Just make sure you know the right size, and you can't go wrong. Here are a few of the favorites we're giving (or asking for) but there are also plenty of options for the ladies in your life.
Casual twisted socks, $14
↦ Want more gifts? Check out SeaVees
Morning Motto
Virgil Abloh lived the sh!t out of his life. Let that be the lesson we take from this.
↦ Follow: @jiandeleon
That’s all for today...
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