November is the great month of overstuffing ourselves with turkey, giving thanks, and deciding whether to set our alarm to get up early to snatch those good Black Friday deals. Is it worth giving up a few extra hours of sleep to save $100 on that iPhone, or can we save some sleep and get the same deals on Cyber Monday? Many families have the tradition of getting up at 5:00 am and getting in line at Best Buy to get that big screen TV at a cheaper price, as it is a part of Thanksgiving. As these sales techniques evolve, we can consider getting our much-needed rest and purchase the same one online a few days later, or can we? Many stores now offer a Thanksgiving Sale, which extends past the traditional Black Friday. Cyber Monday has followed suit, and many retailers are extending it to Cyber Week. Whether you decide to head out early on Black Friday or order on Cyber Monday, the retailers will be offering good deals to get your business.
According to NBC, 2022 Black Friday sales percentages consisted of technology, clothes and shoes, jewelry, and toys in that order of popularity. On the contrary, Cyber Monday is 80% technology sales. Monday is also used to get rid of stock that did not sell on Black Friday. Therefore, when answering the question of whether Black Friday is better than Cyber Monday, I say it is all preference and tradition. If you prefer shopping in person to experience the long lines and seeing lots of excited energy in the stores, Black Friday is for you. You get the deals, along with knowing that what you are purchasing is in stock. It is perfect if you do not mind the longer lines, the ridiculous crowds, spending money on gas, and leaving the coziness and warmth of your home. On the other hand, on Cyber Monday, they mark down even more than normal all of the Black Friday items that did not get sold.
The trend towards online shopping is shifting to a cultural tradition in our country. As education, shopping, and communication shifts more to online, retailers will follow to earn their profit and will accommodate the trends in our society to make a profit. I think you would agree that many of us in college would rather buy online, whereas my grandparents do not feel as comfortable purchasing online. They go in person for their purchases; it is a generational shift. Personally, I feel like everything is slowly making the shift to online like the next generation will do Black Friday shopping mainly online or Cyber Monday.
On average, consumers spend an average of $11.3 billion on Cyber Monday each year. According to Exploding topics, on Black Friday, consumers spent an average of $7.9 billion, and according to Walden University, along with that, Black Friday sales normally average right around 50%. During Cyber Monday, the sales are normally around 30%. Along with this, remember items that are “big ticket” always get marketed on Black Friday. These are the items in the store that people are lining up outside the store, camping and waiting for the employees to open the doors so they can run to snatch up the big-ticket item. These are normally TVs, iPads, laptops, and kitchen appliances. For these, you must think of the item’s generation. They could possibly be wanting to move some items to make room for new ones, and they were going to discount them anyway. For example, an older generation of iPhones could have possibly already been on discount, before black Friday.
When looking at Cyber Monday, it is geared more toward smart home devices like echos or Google Play, along with watches and a lot of other gadgets. Another popular trend is clothing. This is when most of the stores have their biggest clothing sale of the year. With that, normally, on Cyber Monday there are free items offered for spending a minimum amount. Who would not love a free blanket from Victoria Secrets after spending $100? That is why, personally, Cyber Monday is far superior to Black Friday. The choice is yours: Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
Sources:
“The-History-and-Importance-of-Black-Friday.” Walden University, www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-business-administration/resource/the-history-and-importance-of-black-friday#:~:text=The%20Black%20Friday%20Name%20Comes%20from%20Philadelphia&text=In%20the%201950s%2C%20%2760s%2C,the%20day%20as%20Black%20Friday. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.
“The Latest Cyber Monday Statistics (2023).” Exploding Topics, 30 May 2023, explodingtopics.com/blog/cyber-monday-stats. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.
Emma Arteaga is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].
