Immediately after Thanksgiving, you can access some brilliant bargains and savings as you plan your Christmas shopping. Two days, in particular, offer the best saving opportunities at this time of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
In marketing material, the days are often referred to interchangeably, but the reality is that these days are different, offering unique deals and savings opportunities, while appealing to slightly different target markets.
So, to help you maximize your potential savings while making the most of both days, we provide a full comparison of Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals, helping you to distinguish between the two.
Cyber Monday deals vs Black Friday deals: Origins
Why is it called Black Friday? Black Friday is a much older tradition than Cyber Monday, dating back to 1960s America. The shopping day has its roots on the streets of Philadelphia, when suburban residents flocked to the city streets on the Friday after Thanksgiving to go shopping.
Due to the disruption on the streets and the increased traffic, police in the city dubbed the day ‘Black Friday,’ a name that marketers jumped on to announce city-wide sales across the post-Thanksgiving weekend. Soon after, Black Friday became a nationwide institution, and by the 1980s, it was the most prominent shopping event in the United States.
Cyber Monday, on the other hand, is a much newer concept, having been introduced in 2005. Online retailers recognized that they were missing out on a crucial sales weekend in the lead-up to Christmas, as shoppers flocked to high street stores to grab the best bargains available.
But, as so many people prefer shopping online today, Cyber Monday was launched to offer an alternative to visiting land-based sales. In essence, from 2005 onwards, people could visit high street shops or shop online for similar products across the post-Thanksgiving weekend. But there are a few other differences that you should be aware of before completing your purchases, as we explore below.
Black Friday deals vs Cyber Monday: Focus of sales
Black Friday unofficially kicks off the Christmas season, with Thanksgiving now behind us. Traditionally, the focus of Black Friday has significantly reduced items within brick-and-mortar stores, from electronics to clothes sales.
You’ve probably seen the queues in real life or on TV – thousands of eager shoppers often line up from the early hours of the morning to get first reserve on the top discounted Black Friday products. There’s even a Friends episode that shows the bedlam around Black Friday discount shopping!
The focus on Black Friday sales tends to be similar to a clear-out – retailers use the opportunity to reduce the listing price of stock they’ve had throughout the year to make way for new festive stock that they can then sell at full price.
In some respects, the focus of sales on Cyber Monday is similar, but we tend to see a much broader selection of sales items, given that online shopping is practically limitless. You don’t need to limit yourself to the availability on your local high street – you can find practically any item listed by an online retailer at a brilliant price on Cyber Monday.
Also, as Cyber Monday is after Black Friday, you might gain access to products that were not initially listed at a discount. You may also find exclusive online offers at a much cheaper price, given that online stores don’t have the same overhead costs as brick-and-mortar retailers.
Black Friday deals vs Cyber Monday deals: Target market and shopping experience
Primarily, Black Friday and Cyber Monday target the same people – anyone who wants to bag a discount ahead of the Christmas season.
But when you look into the shopping experience, you notice that the target market for each is slightly different. Naturally, Black Friday caters to people who prefer in-store shopping, while Cyber Monday is more suited to people who prefer to shop from their computers, tablets, or smartphones.
Overall, Cyber Monday is a much less stressful experience, as you don’t have to battle with the crowds or get up early to access the best prices. You can simply visit your favorite online store, such as Laifen, browse the sales, and place an order. It’s as simple as that!
Cyber Monday vs Black Friday deals: Pros & cons
Here’s a quick run-through of the pros and cons of Cyber Monday and Black Friday so you can decide which sale is best for you:
Black Friday pros & cons
✅ Best suited to people who enjoy in-store shopping.
✅ You have the option to try products on or test them in-store before buying.
✅ In-store shopping is a more sociable option, enabling you to meet friends for coffee or lunch.
❌ Black Friday sales shopping can be stressful & extremely busy.
❌ When you visit the high street, you’re limited to the stores in your local area.
❌ Due to overheads, in-store sale prices aren’t always as low as online prices.
Cyber Monday pros & cons
✅ Best suited to people who enjoy online shopping.
✅ Online-only deals that sometimes offer lower prices than in-store discounts.
✅ Access to a wider selection of products from more retailers.
❌ As Cyber Monday is after Black Friday, you have to wait to see which products are discounted.
❌ You typically have to pay delivery fees for Cyber Monday purchases.
Recap: Cyber Monday vs Black Friday deals
So, which is better – Black Friday or Cyber Monday? This really just depends on your preferences, and you can use our comparison guide and the pros and cons above to decide whether to buy products on either day of sales.
Our advice is to research ahead of the sales to see if a retailer is offering products that you want to buy at a discounted price, either in-store or online.
If you’re keen to buy our ionic hairdryer or electric toothbrush at a brilliant price, we are running a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale at Laifen in 2024 – check our online store today for unbeatable prices. Read up to electric toothbrush Black Friday Cyber Monday sale and hair dryer Black Friday Cyber Monday deal.
