The holiday season of 2024 is here, which means every retailer is competing to be the one you go to do your shopping. Pretty much all month long we've seen discounts that led up to the big event: Black Friday. Whichever Black Friday deals haven't already sold out will probably stay available through the weekend.
What of Cyber Monday this year, though? The well-known online shopping holiday always kicks off after Black Friday and tends to offer similar discounts from major retailers. If you're wondering whether or not you should wait for Cyber Monday sales to make a purchase, the answer is usually no. The differences between Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost non-existent these days and if you find a great deal today, there's really no reason to hesitate. That being said, let's dive into some of the subtle differences between the sales.
Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday Deals
Historically, Cyber Monday sales have been better for online shoppers. This was largely due to Black Friday being somewhat of a brick-and-mortar event in the earlier times of the shopping holiday. The days of the best discounts only being reserved for folks that camp out overnight are pretty much over, however, and almost all major retailers have all of their discounts online starting on Thanksgiving. Because of this, the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have pretty much become negligible. Even retailers like Walmart that are mostly known for in-person locations have moved over to an online-first model.
Although these two retail holidays have pretty much become intertwined, there are still reasons to choose one over the other. Here's what IGN's Commerce Manager, Eric Song, had to say about this differences:
Shipping Differences
Black Friday deals once again started early this year as retailers have been encouraging folks to make purchases earlier than ever. This is largely thanks to carry-over from some lingering supply chain issues that that made shipping some products difficult. Although you should be able to get most things delivered in time for Christmas even if you make a purchase on Cyber Monday, buying earlier pretty much ensures you'll have time to send it back and get a refund in time if needed.
Limited Stock
Another thing to keep in mind is that some discounts will be a associated with a certain amount of stock available. Some of the biggest discounts on Black Friday on big ticket items like consoles, iPads, TVs, and gaming laptops may not last forever. For example, we've seen Nintendo Switch bundles come in and out of availability all week long. A lot of the better Apple Black Friday deals are on older generations of the devices and can sell out quickly at a low enough price. Because of this, waiting for Cyber Monday could cost you the ability to grab some of the hottest deals. This is why Black Friday tends to be overall the better time to buy video games.
Convenience
One of the biggest advantages of shopping Cyber Monday deals instead of Black Friday deals is that they aren't usually happening right in the middle of family time. With most of the Cyber Monday sales beginning over the weekend, it may be a lot more relaxing to do your shopping then rather than just after you eat Thanksgiving dinner. Being able to wait until things have calmed down to actually do your holiday shopping can make the whole experience less stressful.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Terms Explained
Black Friday
The term "Black Friday" has origins stretching all the way back to 1869, but the most recent interpretation of the term comes from the 1980s. It was during this time that retailers would see an increased profit around this time of year, which would be indicated by the use of black ink (rather than red ink). After this, the window between Thanksgiving day an the weekend started becoming well-known in the media as Black Friday. These days, Black Friday seemingly refers to most of November as retailers start offering discounts the day after Halloween.
Cyber Monday
The term "Cyber Monday" is a fairly recent one in comparison to Black Friday. It was a marketing term used to describe a boost in e-commerce transactions that occured the Monday after Thanksgiving in the United States. The term itself was coined in 2005 and was made main stream thanks to a press release from Shop.org. Although it was originally used to encourage more people do do their shopping online, it has since become one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Looking for more shopping info? Take a look at our tips for shopping Black Friday sales for more.