Why Cyber Monday should be on your calendar this sales season – what to know before you get swept up in Black Friday

With all the buzz around Black Friday, there's another term you're bound to see cropping up which may leave you wondering – what is Cyber Monday, anyway?

Originally, Cyber Monday was conceived as a digital-only discount shopping event on the Monday following Black Friday, this year that will be on December 2nd. However, as more and more of our everyday purchases now happen online anyway, the term is now slightly redundant.

What's far from redundant, however, are the plethora of discounts that you can expect, meaning you can take your time over the traditional period of Black Friday deals.'

What is Cyber Monday?

As we've explained, the date for Cyber Monday adjusts with when Black Friday falls, which is always the day after the USA's Thanksgiving holiday, the final Thursday of November.

While Black Friday used to be a one day, in person event, now it's not only shoppable online (thank god), but the sales are spread out over a much longer period of time. This year many stores went live with their Black Friday offerings during the first week of November, and many more are expected within the rest of the run-up.

This means that Cyber Monday is a neat bookend for the close of much of the major sales. While some retailers may continue discounts, based on the last couple of years we're expecting the vast majority of discounts to finish by midnight on 2nd December 2024.

What is the difference between Cyber Monday and Black Friday?

Different retailers tackle the distinction between their Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers in various ways. 

Some brands combine the two, while others have different offers on Friday and Monday to differentiate between the two a bit more. Some just continue their existing offers from Black Friday but online only, not in-store.

Is it best to shop Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Waiting until Cyber Monday is like waiting for the tail end of the sales offering, retailers do occasionally drop prices even further, but you run the risk of the best items selling out.

Last year we saw the best deal on the Ninja Dual zone 9.5L air fryer sell out at Amazon on Black Friday. The White Company and Argos also sold out some of their best-discounted pieces, so the Friday is considered the best time to shop for many.

However, if you're not after the hot item of the year (this year we're expecting a run on the best dehumidifiers and top heated clothes airers) it could be worth waiting to see if there are some last minute drops for Cyber Monday. If the piece is a must-have for you, just pull the trigger on the purchase whenever the price hits a suitable level for your budget.

Happy online shopping! We’ll be back on here nearer Cyber Monday itself to walk you through the best outlets for the day.