The online shopping trend is currently at its peak. And why not? After all, online shopping gives consumers the freedom to make purchases from the comfort of their location. Moreover, many platforms offer products at hugely discounted prices, allowing consumers to save a big chunk of money.
Each year, online shopping platforms, such as Amazon and Walmart, offer numerous special deals and discounts, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Both Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday are special occasions, attracting a huge number of shoppers each year. However, choosing between the two is sometimes a critical decision for consumers. They frequently grapple with the dilemma of which is better: Black Friday or Cyber Monday? If you also have the same dilemma, then this post is a perfect read for you.
Here, we will compare these two major shopping events in detail to help you determine which one to wait for. So, let’s take a plunge…
Table of Content
- Black Friday – An Overview
- Black Friday – The Background
- Black Friday 2024
- Cyber Monday – An Overview
- Cyber Monday – The Background
- Cyber Monday 2024
- Black Friday Vs Cyber Monday – A Detailed Comparison
- Black Friday Vs. Cyber Monday: Which is Better?
Black Friday – An Overview
Black Friday is one of the major shopping events that begins on the Friday after the Thanksgiving ceremony each year. The term “Black Friday” is primarily used to describe the day after Thanksgiving Day, typically the fourth Friday in November.
The Christmas shopping season officially begins with Black Friday. Many online shopping stores, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and more, offer heavy discounts on various products. Black Friday is the best opportunity for customers to get heavy discounts on their favourite items, including tech gadgets.
Black Friday – The Background
The phrase “Black Friday” was primarily coined by the associated editor of the Factory Maintenance and Management to describe the day after Thanksgiving. This term was basically used to describe employees’ absenteeism at that time. Aside from that, this expression was also used by the US police in 1950. The US Police referred to the days as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Black Saturday’ due to the significant traffic that disrupted the city’s activities ahead of the Christmas shopping season.
In 1961, the city and merchants of Philadelphia, US, declared the window between Thanksgiving Day and the weekend as Black Friday – a big shopping event in the US. Since then, huge discounts and promotions have been offered on Black Friday Deals to encourage shoppers to make purchases. However, the popularity of Black Friday has extended beyond the borders of the United States. Now, shoppers in other countries are eagerly waiting for the event so that they can buy their favourite products at discounted prices. All in all, Black Friday is a great event. It provides consumers the chance to grab great deals and retailers the opportunity to enhance their sales.
Black Friday 2024
Black Friday 2024 is scheduled to begin on Friday, November 29, immediately after the Thanksgiving ceremony.
Cyber Monday – An Overview
Coined in the year 2005, the term “Cyber Monday” is relatively new when compared to Black Friday. It was initially used as a marketing term to describe an increase in e-commerce transactions that took place the Monday following the Thanksgiving celebration in the United States. A press release from Shop.org brought it into the mainstream.
Originally, this term aimed to motivate more individuals to shop online; however, over time, it has evolved into one of the largest shopping days of the year. During this period, several e-commerce platforms were used to lure customers to make purchases over the extended holidays by offering them special deals and offers. Although initiated in the US, Cyber Monday has become pretty popular among international shoppers. People from around the world wait for this one of the biggest shopping events of the year to become part of it.
Cyber Monday – The Background
The term’ Cyber Monday’ was coined by Shop.org, a branch of the National Retail Federation, in the year 2005. When they noticed a severe hike in online sales occurring on the Monday after Thanksgiving, they came up with this enticing term that has since become the most prominent shopping event. After the invention of the internet and other advanced technologies, Cyber Monday started to gain traction among customers.
More and more people started buying things online, including during Cyber Monday sales. Cyber Monday provides customers the opportunity to grab the hottest deals at the most affordable prices. At the same time, online retailers started opting for this marketing strategy to encourage consumers to buy more and enhance their own bottom lines during the peak holiday season. Brands come up with exclusive deals, discounts, offers, and other promotions to entice customers to buy more. Today, Cyber Monday is a renowned shopping event all around the world. Shoppers from across the globe participate in this shopping event to grab the hottest deals and offers.
Cyber Monday 2024
Cyber Monday 2024 is scheduled to start on Monday, December 2, 2024, immediately after the Thanksgiving ceremony and Black Friday Shopping Event.
Black Friday Vs Cyber Monday – A Detailed Comparison
Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday are popular global shopping events. Both of these even occur after Thanksgiving; however, there are some notable differences between these two, which we have highlighted here. Take a look…
| Key Differences | Black Friday | Cyber Monday |
|---|---|---|
| Initiated in the Year | 1869 | 2005 |
| Gained Popularity | 1961 | During the late 21st Century |
| Slated | Black Friday is slated immediately after Thanksgiving Day on Friday. | Cyber Monday takes place right after Thanksgiving Day, occurring on the following Monday. |
| Approach | Initially, it was started for in-store shopping; however, with the online shopping trend becoming popular, Black Friday deals are now offered on several platforms as well. | Cyber Monday was started exclusively to encourage shoppers to buy online, helping shoppers to have ease of ordering things from the comfort of their location. |
| Platforms | Black Friday deals are made available on different online platforms, including cloud hosting providers, software companies, and online retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, etc, | Cyber Monday deals are made available at various online platforms, including Amazon, Alibaba Express, Flipkart, Kohl’s, Walmart, and so on. |
| Popular For | Black Friday is popular among customers for offering substantial discounts on all kinds of products, including tech gadgets. Tech Savvy shoppers often prefer Black Friday for its mesmerizing deals on tech devices, including smartphones, laptops, etc. | Cyber Monday is again popular for providing huge discounts on various products, including niche items, such as gyming gear, personal care essentials, etc. |
| Products/ Categories | Home Appliances: Black Friday is pretty popular among customers for it offers heavily discounted home appliances. It is one of the best shopping events for those looking for new appliances, such as smart TVs, home theatres, speakers, etc. Numerous retailers offer considerable discounts on high-end devices, such as Apple TV 4K, HomePod, HomePod mini, Siri Remote, and TV & Home accessories, providing consumers an opportunity to save a big chunk of money. Tech Gadgets: Black Friday is the best event to purchase your favourite tech gadget. Renowned retailers, such as Apple, Sony, Samsung, OnePlus, etc., offer tech gadgets at heavily discounted prices. This is the best time to buy high-end laptops, smartphones, Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, and more. Apparel and Fashion: Black Friday is a great event for fashion enthusiasts as well. The event showcases many renowned fashion brands, including Zara, offering products at considerably very low prices. It’s a perfect time to shop for Christmas. You can buy anything, from clothing to footwear and fashion accessories, on Black Friday. Household Items: In addition to tech gadgets, appliances, and fashion, Black Friday is an outstanding event for purchasing home goods. Numerous online and offline retailers offer deals on home goods, including home decor, kitchenware, furnishing, and so on. | Tech Gadgets: Cyber Monday is an excellent event for buying tech gadgets, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, headphones, and computer accessories. Renowned brands offer more discounts on tech gadgets compared to Black Friday deals. Clothing: Clothing is yet another category that make a wait for Cyber Monday worthwhile. Numerous small and renowned fashion brands offer clothing at discounted prices. Software and Online Services: Another category that makes Cyber Monday an excellent event for shoppers is discounted Software and Online Services. Numerous brands offer significant discounts on software and subscription services, which makes it an ideal occasion to invest in software upgrades or online courses and streaming services. Niche Items: Cyber Monday is the best time to invest in niche and specialized products, such as toys, fitness gear, mattresses, personal care essentials, sporting goods, and so on. |
| Advantageous For | Black Friday offers an excellent opportunity for high-end brands to sell their products at discounted prices on various online platforms, such as Amazon, Walmart, etc. | Cyber Monday offers benefits to both small businesses and retailers as it allows them to sell their products at discounted prices on several platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, Kohl’s, and Alibaba Express, among others. |
The Final Verdict
Black Friday Vs. Cyber Monday: Which is Better?
Black Friday is slated on the Friday following Thanksgiving. It is massively characterized by hot deals and offers provided by both brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers across various categories of goods. Cyber Monday is yet another popular online shopping event that follows Black Friday. It takes place the next Monday after Thanksgiving and is known for offering incredible deals and discounts on a wide range of products.
It majorly focuses on online shopping. Both small and high-end retailers offer deep discounts and enticing deals on their websites and eCommerce platforms during Cyber Monday sales. Both Black Friday Vs. Cyber Monday offers huge deals and discounts. There is hardly any room for differentiation between them. Major retailers often hold sales on Black Friday. They offer deep discounts on almost everything, including household items, tech devices, appliances, and so on. Cyber Monday is also a popular shopping event of the year that kicks off after Black Friday and tends to offer similar discounts from both small and major retailers.
When it comes to choosing the ideal day for shopping, Black Friday is considered best. This is because it takes place during weekends. It gives you plenty of time to discuss with your loved ones or family members to discuss the product you plan to purchase. Whereas, Mondays are pretty busy days for some people, and by the time they plan to place an order, they may lose the deal. Additionally, you may have to pay shipping charges on some of the items sold during Cyber Monday, which adds to the total cost.
This again makes Cyber Monday a not-so-excellent choice for shoppers. Also, if you want to buy a high-quality product, especially tech gadgets, Black Friday is ideal as the event boasts products from major players, including Apple. In addition, Cyber Monday often does not reveal its brands and products, and there are chances of last-minute changes in products. In such a situation, depending on Cyber Monday deals is not wise. Lastly, the differences between Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are almost negligible, so waiting for another event to buy the product at the same price doesn’t make any sense. Rest is your choice. It all depends on your preferences and budget!
The Bottom Line
So, there you have it: the differences between Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday. Hopefully, this article has been informative for you and helped you pick the right event. Of course, both events are great for online shopping. You can choose to shop at any event. However, if you want to grab the deal as it comes, then surely Black Friday is your best option as you cannot be sure of getting the same deal or maybe the same product on Cyber Monday. Happy Shopping… 😊 😊
Pro Tip: If you want to make the best of these two events, then it is advised to create a wish list in advance. Also, you can evaluate prices on various websites and subscribe to retailer newsletters.
Thanks for reading!!
