As the year comes to a close, many are already preparing for one of the most important sales events on the calendar: Black Friday. During this 24-hour period—which typically continues throughout the weekend—consumers have the opportunity to make significant savings with discounts of up to 80% on clothing, home appliances, gardening supplies, smartphones, and video game consoles.
Once Black Friday has passed, various participants (including brands, online stores, and e-commerce platforms) often extend their sales into the following Monday. This is the birth of Cyber Monday. The term "Cyber Monday" officially emerged in 2005 on shop.org, referring to the Monday after Black Friday. Here, "Cyber" signifies the use of the internet to offer promotional deals to consumers. In other words, 95% of the sales during Cyber Monday are found on online stores and e-commerce platforms.
Like Black Friday, significant discounts, great deals, and promo codes are on the agenda for this day, marking the end of sales before the festive season begins.
As you may have guessed, Cyber Monday traditionally takes place on the Monday following the Black Friday weekend. Since its inception in 2005 in the United States, this event serves as a closure for Black Friday and its fantastic sales.
In 2024, since Black Friday officially starts on Friday, November 29, Cyber Monday will take place on Monday, December 2.
During sales periods, certain product categories tend to stand out more than others. This holds true once again for Cyber Monday, where several products have enjoyed growing popularity. For example, during the 2023 edition of the event, data revealed that fashion (shoes and clothing) was the most searched product category, accounting for 19% of purchases (behind the 35% for mass purchases including all types of products and consumables).
Electronics came in second, making up 8% of sales made through online platforms, particularly including game consoles, smart home devices, smartphones, computers, and other high-tech accessories. Lastly, home improvement items, including furniture, decoration accessories, and gardening and DIY supplies, attracted 4% of sales during Cyber Monday 2023.
In detail, here’s the list of the most sought-after products during the last Cyber Monday edition:
To conclude, Cyber Monday 2023 totaled $12.4 billion in revenue, marking a significant increase in the event's popularity among consumers worldwide (+9.6% compared to 2022).
Since Cyber Monday is essentially an extension of Black Friday, one might think there’s no difference between them. However, this is not the case. On one hand, Black Friday has historically been an in-store event, where products are directly accessible to consumers. Only recently have online sales surpassed in-store sales during the three-day weekend that encompasses Black Friday.
On the other hand, Cyber Monday differs from its predecessor in duration. While the original Black Friday takes place exclusively over 24 hours on the Friday following Thanksgiving and continues through the weekend for a total of three days of sales, some stores even opt for a retroactive extension of the event, applying exceptional discounts starting the previous Monday. The aim here is to extend the event throughout Thanksgiving week.
In contrast, Cyber Monday only lasts for 24 hours—not a second longer. Furthermore, regarding the types of offers available during both events, there are also some disparities. While Black Friday offers savings of up to 80% on various products, Cyber Monday focuses more on cumulative offers and applies discounts ranging from 10% to 50%.
For instance, a brand might offer a 50% discount on a product during Black Friday, then apply an additional 5% discount on the same product during Cyber Monday. As a result, sales during Cyber Monday tend to slightly exceed those of its predecessor. This was particularly evident in 2022, when international Cyber Monday sales reached $11.3 billion compared to only $9.12 billion for Black Friday.
When it comes to whether one should wait for Cyber Monday to enjoy the best deals or make purchases during Black Friday, it largely depends on the individual consumer's shopping list. Some products may have fewer promotions during Black Friday but are highlighted during Cyber Monday, such as subscriptions for VPN services, online banking offers, or refurbished electronics.
During Cyber Monday, it is online, particularly on major e-commerce platforms, that one is most likely to find the best promotional offers, discounts, and deals of all kinds. While this might seem obvious, it's still interesting to list the websites and online platforms where consumers (especially Americans) have become accustomed to turning during Cyber Monday:
In France, the main e-commerce platforms benefiting from the largest market shares during Cyber Monday include Amazon, FNAC/Darty, Boulanger, Cdiscount, Electro Dépôt, eBay, Rakuten, AliExpress, La Redoute, and Rue du Commerce.
However, new e-commerce platforms have recently emerged, diversifying shopping options for consumers. This includes TikTok Shop, the new e-commerce platform of the popular social network TikTok.
Additionally, Instagram also has its own platform dedicated solely to buying and selling, where users can find some of the best offers for Cyber Monday 2024.
Next, let's detail the practices of the online stores and brands that participate in Cyber Monday. As mentioned earlier, it's not uncommon to find impressive discounts exceeding 50% during Black Friday, whether on fashion items, home appliances, smartphones, or toys and game consoles.
As for Cyber Monday, promotions tend to hover around 40%, up to a maximum of 50%. For instance, in 2023, electronic products saw an average discount of 31.4% during Cyber Monday, while children's toys enjoyed an average discount of 27.1%. Meanwhile, clothing and fashion items dropped by an average of 23.4% during the event. Computers, furniture, and televisions received reductions of 22.1%, 21.1%, and 20.2%, respectively.
For the 2024 edition of Cyber Monday, discounts are also expected to hover around 50%, with the most sought-after products including Sony's new PS5 Pro console, the new iPhone 16, and the latest generation of Dyson cordless vacuums.
Since Cyber Monday only lasts for 24 hours, it’s best to prepare thoroughly to make the most of the fantastic promotional offers available. The first tip is to effectively manage your shopping cart. To do this, it's highly recommended to make a list of the items you wish to acquire along with your allocated budget. Take advantage of Black Friday to identify online stores offering the best deals on each item on your list.
The second tip is to sign up for the newsletters of each of the identified online stores. Some of them even have their own mobile apps. Don’t hesitate to download them to your smartphone for direct access to their catalogs and especially their promotional offers during Cyber Monday.
In both cases, activate your notifications to stay continuously informed about the availability of an item, a promotional offer, a flash sale, or a Cyber Monday 2024 promo code. By applying these few tips, you can maximize your chances of finding great deals and making significant savings during Cyber Monday on December 2, 2024.