Cyber Monday—What You Need To Know

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Hate waiting in lines during Black Friday? Good thing it’s 2017 and Cyber Monday is more popular than ever, with fewer shoppers relying on Black Friday. This holiday will be the first year holiday shoppers do the majority of their spending online. According to a recent study by Deloitte, eCommerce sales could peak at $114 billion this holiday season. For deal hunters, this Cyber Monday will be a critical time to find and take advantage of the best deals of the year. As the holiday season approaches, here are some things you should know to have a successful Cyber Monday.

What even is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday takes place the Monday following Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The term “Cyber Monday” was first coined in 2004, with the evolution of the Internet and eCommerce. Companies that wanted to expand their Black Friday specials would offer more deals online the following Monday so that they could reach a broader consumer base. Cyber Monday, which is now sometimes called “Cyber Week” can peak starting Saturday and has even expanded outside the U.S. This year, Cyber Monday will be bigger than ever, taking place on November 27, with big companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Gamestop dominating the marketplace.

What to Expect

Cyber Monday tends to focus on technologies such as laptops, TVs, and Cellphones with the best discounts of the year. Keep an eye out for all sorts of discounted entertainment items such as video games and multi-disk sets of TV shows. Smaller retailers and even some manufacturers also take this opportunity to discount their less flashy items that tend to go overlooked on Black Friday. Another category to expect major discounts in is clothing. Everything from shoes, winter apparel, and high-end fashion items are expected to see major price drops. Cyber Monday is a great time to check out your favorite websites to look for deals and savings.

How to take advantage of it

In order to take full advantage of Cyber Monday, it’s best to make a shopping list before the weekend hits. Your membership programs and loyalty cards will be especially useful during this time of year, so make sure you have those lined up ahead of time. You can even amplify your savings by getting credit cards and store credit, which often offers bonus incentives or rewards for shopping at select storefronts. It is also important to do research beforehand to find out which stores are offering special savings. Here are some websites to get you started:

Be Cautious

While Cyber Monday is great for saving big on household names, it can also be susceptible to scams. Make sure the sites you are buying from are legit. We recommend you stick to the well-known companies, like the ones listed above, to ensure you are not getting scammed. Read the product and purchase details thoroughly, looking for things like return policies. Phishing emails are also extremely prevalent during the holiday shopping season and tend to be a big source of income for scammers. Rather than using promotional emails to buy a product, we recommend going straight to the website offering the product to be sure that it is legitimate. Take extra precautions this Cyber Monday and make sure you read the fine print to protect your purchases.

Discounts on PS4, Xbox one, and large 4K TV sets are all deals you can expect this holiday season. These deals are predicted to last even longer in 2017, so take advantage of them while you can. With so many household names offering price drops all at once, it will be a competition all weekend long. Several analysts have predicted Cyber Monday will be the biggest shopping day in US history. The holiday shopping season has officially begun—happy shopping!