Cyber Monday Is Coming: Are Online Sales Better Than Black Friday?


Move over Black Friday. Cyber Monday is when all the cool kids shop these days. The days of waiting in line outside of Best Buy from midnight to 5 a.m. on Black Friday for a sub-par laptop are over. Or are they? With the popularity of Cyber Monday increasing year after year, shoppers want to know: when can you get better deals, Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

In a recent story by USA Today, the pros of shopping on Cyber Monday extend beyond the ability to shop in your pajamas as you recover from all that tryptophan. Major retailers such as Staples, Kohl’s, JC Penney and even Ebay have begun extending their Black Fridays sales into Cyber Monday sales online.

Cyber Monday

Top Cyber Monday Deals of 2015

According to Review Journal, some of top Cyber Monday sales you’ll find on November 30 are on electronics.

  • Dell Computers is offering Cyber Monday deals on a number of their laptops and PCs, including the Latitude 15 3000 Series laptop with Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB ram and 500GB hard drive for $499 (regularly $785), the Latitude 15 5000 Series with Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB ram and 500GB hard drive for $699 (regularly $1,170), and the Inspiron Small Desktop with Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 1TB hard drive for $379 (regularly $553)
  • eBay will be offering a Cyber Monday TV deal for 70 percent off a 55-inch Samsung 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart TV for $1,200 (regular price of $3,999)
  • Other major retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Amazon will be offering low ball pricing on electronics, toys, clothing, home items, and more during Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Black Friday Sales

When Does Cyber Monday Start?

Cyber Monday start times vary by retailer, with some launching their sales as early as the evening of Sunday, November 29.

  • Walmart – 8 p.m. on Nov. 29
  • Target – Start on Monday, Nov. 30
  • Best Buy – Start on Monday, Nov. 30
  • Toys R Us – 8 a.m. on Nov. 29

Other retailers such as Macy’s and JC Penney have already launched their Cyber Monday deals, and customers can begin enjoying the bargains now via their websites.

Will Cyber Monday Be More Successful Than Black Friday 2015?

Preliminary figures show that Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales numbers are down for 2015. Sales at brick and mortar locations took the brunt of the decline, but overall estimations are that the 2015 holiday shopping season will still bring in strong sales numbers overall.

Shelley Kohan, vice president of retail consulting at RetailNext, discussed the sales numbers.

“The numbers are down but it’s still a better sales trend during the two days than we have seen for physical retail through the year and especially after a very difficult summer and October.”

According to Reuters, online sales are already up double digits and Cyber Monday hasn’t even hit yet. This trend might indicate a declining importance in Black Friday as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. In recent years, many retailers have begun opening their doors even earlier (some on Thanksgiving Day), while others took their sales strictly online.

As far as the average discount goes, online sales during Black Friday and online sales during Cyber Monday were nearly on par with each other, with Black Friday online sales coming in at an average 26 percent discount, and Cyber Monday online sales coming in at an average 24 percent discount on normal retail price.

If you’re the type that enjoys getting up early and getting nearly trampled to death just to enjoy a discount, you probably did all your shopping on Black Friday already. But for the rest of us, the verdict is in: Cyber Monday offers just as much of a bargain with a lot less hassle.

[Photo Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images and Wikipedia]

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