Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: Which sale wins on discounts, timing, and overall value?

The holiday shopping season is live and the excitement feels stronger than ever. About 186.9 million people plan to check offers online or at shops this year, starting from Thanksgiving all the way to Cyber Monday, on December 1, up from 183.4 million last year, according to new numbers by the National Retail Federation.

With that surge in attention comes the big question many buyers are already debating: when it comes to discounts, timing, and value, does Black Friday or Cyber Monday come out on top?

Survey shows Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain major shopping days

Black Friday plus Cyber Monday still shape how folks shop during the holidays. A fresh poll shows these sales haven't lost steam. About 70% of those asked - some 130.4 million - want to buy stuff on Black Friday, whereas roughly 73.9 million are likely to click around on Cyber Monday, making up nearly half the group polled, as reported by USA Today.

Shoppers go wild that Friday due to deals they think are too good to skip, old habits tied to festive cheer, or simply because it’s easier to finish buying presents over the extended break. This time, both days come one after another: Black Friday hits November 28, right after Thanksgiving, then Cyber Monday rolls in on December 1.

These events didn’t pop up overnight - Black Friday started in Philly back in the mid-1900s before turning into a nationwide profit-driven promotion by the late '80s; meanwhile, Cyber Monday came along in 2005 when retailers saw more online buys once office workers got back from vacation.

These days, both shopping events run together as one big sale period - thanks to longer deals from stores and more people buying online instead of in shops, a trend pushed hard by the pandemic. Since giants like Amazon start dropping bargains weeks early, many specials spill across both occasions, although what you're after - and when you look - affects how much you'll save.

According to numbers pulled by Adobe Analytics and fresh store updates, TVs, sofas, toys, and kitchen gadgets usually hit their lowest around Black Friday, whereas laptops, phones, and clothes tend to go cheaper on Cyber Monday. In fact, last year’s Cyber Monday brought in higher revenue than Black Friday, and predictions point toward an even bigger season this time, with shoppers likely to spend $253.4 billion overall - including $14.2 billion just on Cyber Monday and $11.7 billion on Black Friday. When so much cash is involved and prices keep changing daily, hunting for value stays intense.

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