Black Friday or Cyber Monday, what day offers better deals? We’re certain that each and every shopper is befuddled with this dilemma. Should one go all the way out on Black Friday, or wait till Cyber Monday comes? This Buzzle article tells you how each of these days are unique and opportunistic in their own way.
It used to be Black Friday was for in-store and Cyber Monday was for online. It’s now kind of morphed into holiday-weekend shopping. It’s going to start Wednesday and end Monday. Five days of deals, sales, and offers.
―Steve Schaffer, CEO of Offers.com
The reason why you are reading this article in the first place is because you don’t wish to regret this holiday season. Researching well in advance about the expert speculations for this year’s Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday sales, is a good way to gauge what lies ahead. In fact, the Black Friday ads of some of the most reputed brands including Walmart, New York & Company, Amazon, and eBay have already been leaked online. Following websites such as blackfriday, cybermonday, offers, and dealnews, would be a good way to keep up with the latest discounts, offers, deals―whatever you want to call it.
What makes the holiday shopping of this year different from the past few years is the fact that Thanksgiving has arrived later than usual, giving the sellers fewer days to allure potential buyers. Therefore, experts anticipate that sellers would start the process much earlier than Black Friday―Wednesday perhaps. Steve Schaffer, CEO of the website Offers said in an interview conducted by the International Business Times, “It’s going to start Wednesday and end Monday. Five days of deals, sales and offers.”, which for us, means more options!
Black Friday Vs. Cyber Monday Deals
No matter what the day is named―Black Friday or Cyber Monday―what matters is the irresistible offers and deals that these days bring with them, that the shopper in you can’t wait to pounce on! But, hold your horses, for the countdown has already begun. Many experts in the field have evaluated the trend of the past few years. The prediction of this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are based on a study done by DealNews, on the past two Black Friday seasons. Their evaluation highlighted the fact that, while we may consider these two days as competitors, they in fact, complement each other and together give buyers an opportunity to get some of the best offers in different product lines. It has been found that Thanksgiving had been the best time to save some serious money on products like smartphones, HDTVs, and gaming items. What’s the outlook on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Best Deals Offered on Black Friday
Laptops, Computers, Kitchenware, Data Storage Devices
If you’ve been struggling with your almost-ancient, slow, and worn out laptop or computer, then this is the time to get a brand new one, without making a big hole in your wallet. What’s even better is that the additional storage devices one needs along―pen drives, hard drives, USB flash drives and the like―are also available at extra discounted prices on this day. The study states that there were 85% more storage deals on Black Friday as compared to Cyber Monday, in the past two seasons. Even when it comes to kitchenware deals, the last two Black Fridays showed the maximum number of deals in items such as cutlery, small appliances, and kitchen gadgets. So, if you want to buy a gift for your computer-stuck teenage brother or your best-cook-in-the-world mom, Black Friday is the day for you.
Best Deals Offered on Cyber Monday
Clothing and Shoes
All the shopaholic fashionistas, watch out for the Monday that arrives with some unbelievable deals on designer clothing and footwear! From the evaluation done by DealNews of the past two years, Cyber Monday is the clear winner in these product lines, and by clear we mean clear. The numbers in support of this statement are these: The clothing deals were 45% more than Black Fridays, and 53% higher than Thanksgiving. As far as footwear are concerned, there were 50% more deals on these compared to both Black Friday and Thanksgiving. So, wait till ‘that’ Monday and stack up on those discount coupons offered by online retailers, to get your next designer clothing and shoes!
So, yes, DealNews‘ evaluation and study has predicted these two respective shopping days to be the most suitable for the aforementioned items. If these don’t cover what you’ve been wanting, fret not, we still have the weekend, don’t we? The referred study also brought the Saturday and Sunday in between, to the forefront, wherein these are considered to be ideal for purchasing appliances, tools, and hardware. While we all may be surprised this year, and there could be a variation in the calculated forecasts, at least this data is extremely helpful for us to stay prepared in advance.
When to Shop? Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
It all depends upon your personal preference. While most shoppers love to be a part of the crowd in shopping malls and physical stores, some prefer to shop online within the comfort and peace of their house. If you want the adrenaline pumping and defeat the other shoppers by grabbing the hottest doorbusters, Black Friday is for you. Other advantages of shopping at a brick-and-mortar stores include: Instant delivery, opportunity to inspect the product thoroughly in person, and perhaps a fun shopping experience! For the not-so-adventurous shoppers, online shopping, either on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, or perhaps anytime between Wednesday to the following Monday, would be better. The notion of Black Fridays to be a physical shopping affair while Cyber Mondays to be virtual, exists no more. With shoppers preferring online shopping, it has just become a matter of personal choice.
Advanced planning and preparation plays an essential role when it comes to grabbing the best deals offered during these days. Your preparation may include: Signing up for the online retail stores beforehand, registering for newsletters, email alerts, downloading apps of dominant online retailers beforehand would save you time during the final purchase. Problems such as server lock up due to overuse, slow page loading, and other errors are commonly observed during these days. Stick to the list of items you need to purchase, and prevent yourself and your money getting lost in the midst of the too-good-to-be-true deals; trust us when we say that most people end up overspending by purchasing things they didn’t really need.
