Black Friday Web Traffic Kills Websites

[zekrahminator]

As we all know, Black Friday is the time where people looking for great deals run to stores at 4AM to take advantage of 50%-off sales. However, this year, it took a particularly high toll on the internet, which does not require you to be at the store at 4AM to take advantage of deals. As people rushed to such sites as Lowe's and Macy's to buy stuff, servers crumpled under the load. And when they crumpled, they crumpled where it hurt users most: at transaction points. Some sites suffered a ridiculous 400% slowdown as a result of Black Friday sales, which caused some customers to abandon their product search/purchase. Some sites were even temporarily shut down due to Black Friday traffic, such as esteemed technology retailer Newegg.

Source: EWeek (http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2222015,00.asp)

[Ben Clarke]

In the UK, we don't have Black Friday.

[WhiteLotus]

major bummer aint it. instead we call it after christmas sales - where all your presents you spent a fortune on are now half price!

[Ben Clarke]

I didn't know that actually. I just though the few weeks after Christmas was for realising "Hey... these presents are crap!"

At least, that's what I thought.

[WhiteLotus]

actually does the UK have any one day a year sales? not even one?

[Ben Clarke]

No.... not that I know of. We're probably the only country that doesn't.

[WhiteLotus]

man we suck

[Grings]

a few places have easter sales, other than that its just the january sales

[WarEagleAU]

Haha, hell, had I known about online black friday sales, the wife and I would have faired a bit better :roll:

[WildCat87]

Haha, I was on Newegg when it died!

[Conti027]

thats where i did all my shopping was online

[newtekie1]

Haha, I was on Newegg when it died!

Yeah, me too.