Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with the big sales and “doorbuster” deals that kick off the holiday shopping season. Some even start before the Thanksgiving leftovers are put away. Black Friday deals started in October this year, but Cyber Monday sales could be extended by a week with additional online sales. And in recent years, the line between his two days has blurred. Black Friday sales can be found in stores as well as online, and Cyber Monday sales don’t have to be virtual only.
But when are the best deals usually? We asked about the differences between and the types of deals you can usually get in each period.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday: What’s the difference?
Black Friday began decades ago as a way to lure shoppers (many of whom were closed the day after Thanksgiving) into stores. Conceived by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in 2005, Cyber Monday was created as a hypothetical “alternative to madness” for big crowds and long lines. According to Jessica Young, director of research data for Digital Commerce 360, it’s also how retailers prolong the “demand and urgency” of shopping, creating additional online opportunities when people return to work. I was able to trade.
So is one generally better than the other when it comes to trading?
While Cyber Monday has the highest overall discounts online, ahead of Black Friday, Young said online and in-store deals during the shopping holidays were about the same for the past few years, said RetailMeNot editor. said Christine McGrath of “The only strategic reason to shop in-store is if something like a game console is sold out online but a store near you has it in stock,” she said.
Additionally, retailers typically launch online Black Friday deals a few months before Thanksgiving to give online shoppers a jump start. What makes Cyber Monday especially appealing is the convenience of being able to add items to your cart, sit on your couch and checkout in minutes.
Black Friday, on the other hand, has a holiday element. Carol Kaufman-Scarborough, former professor of marketing at the Rutgers School of Business, Camden, said: .
What should I buy on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
According to McGrath, the categories that dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost always the same.
“Technology, home, beauty and clothing dominate the entire weekend,” she said, adding that shoppers can expect big discounts on TVs, toys, game consoles and electronics this year. According to Adobe Analytics, the main categories that saw the biggest discounts on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year were electronics, computers, appliances, sports equipment, and toys.)
Variation in sales on these days is minimal. Exceptions may be high value items such as televisions, electronics and appliances. “Cyber Monday also offers TV deals, but many retailers stick with the tradition of Black Friday TV doorbusters and actually roll out those deals on Black Friday,” he said. I’m here.
According to McGrath, if you’re buying laptops, PCs, clothing, travel goods, online subscriptions, etc., it may be safer to wait until Cyber Monday. There are usually some unique Cyber Monday deals on Apple Watch and Nintendo Switch game bundles to help shoppers maintain their buying stamina. [Black Friday] Cyber Monday deals playbook,” she said.
Some brands and products have virtually guaranteed discounts on both days, including Apple AirPods, Instant Pot products, Amazon-branded smart home products, Google smart home products, and Apple Watch.
It’s also worth noting that many retailers have excess inventory this year. This was “a real pendulum shift from 2021, with supply chain problems preventing retailers from keeping enough product on shelves and shoppers plagued with out-of-stock notifications over the holidays. ‘ said Young, which led to the price increase. Experts expect retailers to continue trading in 2022 for fear of shipping delays, but shoppers shouldn’t be tricked into jumping on weak deals, Young said.
When do the Black Friday sales start?
The sale has already started and experts recommend you don’t wait until Cyber Monday to shop early.
“If an item is on sale during Black Friday and the price is good, I will buy it. Additionally, some retailers, such as Target and Best Buy, offer price matches during the holiday season, and some retailers exclude Black Friday pricing or offer discounts from certain competitors. Please read the fine print as we only price match the
Shoppers’ preference for early holiday shopping has spurred early holiday sales. So far in October, big retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have Black him pre-Friday sales.
Kelsey Robinson, Senior Partner, Marketing Strategy, McKinsey & Company, said: In a joint statement, consumer insights and sentiment analytics partner Tamara Charm said: Personalized promotions early in the season also help retailers differentiate themselves from their competitors, they said.
What are the deals worth waiting for?
McGrath said he often sees retailers touting some “extended” deals, promising “one more day” of sales after Cyber Monday, but usually by that point there are no sales at all. It does not open new trades. Instead, “retailers are more likely to offer additional hours to promo-her codes and listings for cyber-her Monday-launched sales,” she said.
However, when it comes to fashion, waiting for Cyber Monday pays off.
“Clothing retailers often put out site-wide promo codes for Cyber Monday,” McGrath said. She added that waiting for Cyber Monday could benefit shoppers looking for “generic clothing rather than very specific boots,” for example. If you’re very flexible, shopping in late December can also be strategic.
How much are people using?
Cyber Monday usually has better sales than Black Friday. According to Adobe Analytics data, Cyber Monday will make him $8.9 billion in 2021, and Cyber Monday will make him $10.7 billion. Young noted that Cyber Monday will continue to outperform other major shopping holidays this year, including Amazon Prime Day and the retailer’s Prime Early Access sale.
Cyber Monday takes the top spot when it comes to ecommerce spending, but as online Black Friday sales grow exponentially, Black Friday consistently closes the gap. According to Adobe, Black Friday 2020 was the second-biggest day of online spending in US history, behind only Cyber Monday. And according to NRF data, Black Friday overtook Cyber Monday as the busiest day for online shopping in the United States last year. According to NRF data, 88 million shoppers viewed online sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and he had 77 million shopping on Monday.
The data also show that interest in online shopping for Thanksgiving and Black Friday (and the weekend following them) has been on the rise over the past few years. But interest in sales for the week following Cyber Monday, aka “Cyber Week” or “Cyber 5,” has dwindled amid grand plans for the season, Young said. Digital Commerce 360 estimated Cyber Week’s share of total online spending for the 2019 season before the pandemic at around 21%.Sales began early in the year and expanded [into] It crept up on the “lower selling” days of the season, or October,” Young said.
Online shopping peaked in 2020, largely due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on purchasing behavior. Shoppers have migrated to the web, skipping store visits on holiday weekends entirely or opting for omnichannel services such as curbside pickup that limit shopper contact. But data from Digital Commerce 360 shows that in 2021, as shoppers returned to stores in a big way following the Covid hiatus, store sales for the November-December period were down year-on-year. surged 14.5%. About 104.9 million shoppers visited. The NRF reported that the number of retail stores during last year’s shopping holiday increased from 92.3 million in 2020. At the same time, the overall number of online shoppers has also declined, with a total of 127.8 million shopping between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday in 2021, down from his 145.4 million the year before. did.
In-store shopping is expected to perform well again in 2022 as people return to their pre-pandemic holiday traditions, Young said.
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