• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 23, 2022

Employers are about to be outwitted. Klaviyo is helping workers shop online on Cyber Monday — without being caught. 

In an effort to “help consumers prioritize getting more shopping done during one of the busiest deal days of the year, Klaviyo will send shoppers a legitimate calendar block so they can browse distraction-free!,” the company says. 

The calendar block from Klaviyo will make it look like they are in a work-related meeting (when really they are online shopping), so colleagues won’t bother the employee during that time, the firm says. 

All they have to do is send an email to press@klaviyo.com asking for a meeting invite (they have to include the time and the email they would like the hold to go to). Klaviyo will respond with a corresponding calendar hold that fits into their schedule 

The calendar block can be used in an office or working at home. Better load up those Cyber Monday emails! 

The company might be on to something. A whopping 69% of employees have shopped online at work, according to Klaviyo’s Holiday Shopping Survey 2022. And 40.49% admit they will shop online “any time I can possible get.”

Of those polled, 57.84% say they have shopped online while at work once a week (only if they’re not too busy). Another 20.10% have shopped at work least once a day, and 22.06% say they have probably shopped online at work 2-3 days per week.  

In addition, 81.13% spend from one to three hours a week online shopping at work, with 14.80% who spend 3-5 hours and 4.06% who spend between 5 and 7 hours.

And talk about brazen -- 21.19% have shopped online while in a work meeting, while 76.05% are not concerned that a co-worker will catch them shopping at work. 

In fairness, consumers don’t do most of their shopping at work. They say they tend to shop: 

• During my commute to/from work — 3.56% 
• After work on my couch — 41.44%
• While eating a meal — 7.26%
• While working out (on the treadmill, Peloton, etc.) — 2.47% 

But these are not the only places people shop, and here’s where it gets weird: The respondents have also shopped:

• While having sex — 21.26% 
• While attending their child’s musical performance/play/sports game, etc. — 23.08%

It gets worse: People have also shopped in these locations: 

• On the toilet — 59.65% 
• In the shower —13.93% 
• While exercising — 19.74%
• While out to dinner or at a party — 21.04%

The preferred channel is mobile--62.92% do most of their online shopping on their phone, the remainder on their computer. 

Klaviyo surveyed 1,378 U.S. consumers.

Good shopping on Monday.