Is it better to shop on Black Friday or on Cyber Monday?
The two biggest shopping days of the year are right around the corner, but which one has the better deals?
Over the years, “Black Friday” has evolved from an event that caused the gold market to crash and made people dread public crowds to the season-long shopping event that we know today. This event has also given rise to other shopping holidays such as Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
For years, Black Friday has been associated with long lines and crowded stores, making it the optimal day for bargain shopping.
Over the past few years, Cyber Monday has rivaled Black Friday as the largest annual shopping event in the United States.
Let’s compare Cyber Monday and Black Friday shopping and determine which one is better.
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday happens the Monday after Black Friday, three days later; this year, it falls on November 27.
Cyber Monday is all about finding great deals online, especially on tech products which are often discounted more than anything else. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retail sales on Cyber Monday reached a record high of $10.8 billion online. As a result, many retailers are now encouraging customers to shop early and online.
It depends on what you are trying to buy...
Many online deals start appearing weeks before Black Friday, giving customers ample time to browse and find what they need, whether it’s for Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
According to Janet Alvarez, the executive editor of the personal finance publication Wise Bread, newer products are usually cheaper on Black Friday than on Cyber Monday. On the other hand, Cyber Monday is an excellent opportunity to shop for older smart-home devices, TVs and consoles.
Alvarez also said “places like Walmart and Best Buy tend to offer the best deals on Black Friday,” with the exception of Amazon, “which tends to have better deals on Cyber Monday, as long as you’re a Prime member.”
So even though Cyber Monday may have better deals overall, as we’ve seen in the last few years, every year more and more online deals take place before, during, and after Black Friday, so it’s pretty hard to say.
Protect yourself from scammers
As more shoppers move online there are greater attempts by scammers to steal sensitive information. It is crucial to always use a credit card that provides purchase protection when buying anything online to safeguard your purchase against loss or damage.