Prefer to wait out the Black Friday madness and shop from the comfort of home on Cyber Monday? You're not alone, especially as COVID-19 continues to keep shoppers away from bricks-and-mortar retailers. Adobe Digital Insights predicts that retailers will see a staggering $12.7 billion in revenue from Cyber Monday this year, up more than 35% from last year. If you're among the growing throngs of online bargain-seekers, here's what you should know before heading online.
Recent years have seen retailers offering steep discounts all weekend before Cyber Monday, and extending them for days afterward. Expect this to continue, just as Black Friday grew to encompass nearly all of November this year. Last year, Amazon was a prime example — pun intended — as the online giant sprinkled deals over the course of the week. In years past, Target has also dropped different daily specials well into December.
Even though Cyber Monday is more than a one-day event at many retailers, don't wait too long if you're itching to spend. A lot of deals will go live as soon as the dust settles from Black Friday. In fact, there's so much overlap between Black Friday and Cyber Monday that savvy shoppers will want to track must-have deals all weekend long.
Related: Target's Best Black Friday Deals
No, you won't be able to try items on in store, but Cyber Monday is the undisputed king when it comes to discounts on apparel. Expect sitewide deals at many retailers, and big price breaks at big-box stores such as $10 sweaters. At least 50% off everything is status quo at retailers including Gap, Old Navy, Lands' End, and Eddie Bauer. Target also tends to offer significant savings on apparel during its Cyber Monday event.
Shoppers often overlook giftable small appliances in the Black Friday doorbuster rush for cheap electronics, so expect plenty of Cyber Monday discounts in this category. Still hot this year are multi-functional appliances such as the Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot, high-end vacuums including Dysons and Roombas, and always-popular, splurge-worthy classics such as KitchenAid mixers.
Hotel rooms, tours, and flights go on sale on Cyber Monday as well as the day after, sometimes known as "Travel Deal Tuesday." This will continue despite the pandemic, but buyers should pay particular attention to whether their bookings are refundable and how long of a window they'll have to complete their travel.
Examples confirmed for this year include 20% off international trips and 10% off domestic trips through Intrepid Travel, and up to 75% off all-inclusive beach vacations from CheapCaribbean. Marriott will offer 15% off gift cards, Radisson will be offering 25% to 30% off hotel bookings of two nights or more, and Booking.com will offer deals starting at 30% off.
While we certainly expect some good Cyber Monday toy deals, particularly at warring Amazon and Walmart, toy shoppers shouldn't be quite as concerned that they're missing bottom-dollar deals if they hold off. That's because retailers often slash toy prices as Christmas draws closer because they need to fatten their year-end bottom lines. While this will continue, pandemic-driven shipping delays or supply issues could make waiting until the last minute risky this year.
Related: Popular Gifts Likely to Sell Out in 2020 (and What to Buy If You're Too Late)
When it comes to electronics, retailers save their deepest discounts for Thanksgiving and Black Friday doorbusters. One Cyber Monday bright spot could be laptops and speakers, as there have been a number of good deals on Cyber Mondays past. Amazon has also said it will continue to heavily discount its own devices, including the Echo Show and Dot, Fire TV Stick, Kindle, and Ring.
Related: The Hottest Tech Gifts This Season
If you're a fan of a particular retailer, you're in luck. Black Friday deals are mostly item-specific — think that super-cheap TV, air fryer, or those Beats headphones. But on Cyber Monday, expect sitewide discounts as steep as 50% off, particularly from apparel retailers. Some discounts we've already confirmed for this year include 50% off at Gap and Old Navy, 25% off at NutriBullet, and 25% off at bedding retailer Allswell.
Amazon has confirmed that its Cyber Monday deals will begin Saturday, Nov. 28, the day after Black Friday. Most dedicated Amazon shoppers are familiar with the year-round benefits of paying for Amazon Prime, and this year's best perk is one-day shipping with no minimum purchase on more than 10 million items, and even same-day delivery in select metro areas. It remains to be seen whether Prime members will get early access to Amazon's limited-time lightning deals, as they have in years past.
Related: Hottest Holiday Gifts From Amazon
Target remains mum on this year's Cyber Monday plans. Two years ago, the retailer offered 15% off sitewide on top of other deals. Even if that doesn't happen again, shoppers should keep in mind that RedCard holders can snag an additional 5% discount on top of everything that is on sale, plus free two-day shipping. Shoppers should also join Target Circle, a free loyalty program that offers exclusive discounts to members.
Best Buy will again start its Cyber Monday sales on Sunday and make some discounts available all week long. Most deals will be available in store, too, and some of the best will include this 75" 4K Smart Android TV from TCL for $500 and this Samsung soundbar with Alexa for $170. (Just remember: Thanksgiving and Black Friday usually yield better deals on electronics.)
See something you want at a tempting discount? Don't wait too long. While easier comparison shopping is a perk of waiting for Cyber Monday, put the item in your online cart before looking elsewhere for a lower price. In 2018, would-be shoppers saw out-of-stock messages during 2.4% of product page visits, according to Adobe, and competition is likely to be fiercer than ever this year because so many people will be avoiding in-store shopping.
Shoppers who've been on the fence about Cyber Monday because of shipping costs can hop down, with major retailers offering free shipping or a relatively low spending threshold for qualifying. Target offers free two-day shipping without any minimum order requirement for RedCard holders, or with a $35 minimum spend for others. Best Buy also requires a $35 purchase for free shipping. If you don't have Amazon Prime, a $25 order will get you free standard shipping there, while the magic number is $35 at Walmart for free two-day shipping on most items.
Related: Don't Miss These Important Holiday Shipping Deadlines
When discounts are promoted as heavily as on Cyber Monday, it's tempting to assume you're paying rock-bottom. But a browser extension such as Honey can help make sure you're getting the best possible deal by applying coupon codes automatically that might be otherwise missed. It may also be worth using online chats to ask a customer-service rep if there are additional discounts — you have nothing to lose but money.
Shoppers should be especially cautious of online scams around Cyber Monday. Scammers snap up domains that include major retailers' names in the URL and try to convince less-observant shoppers to fork over credit card data. Others will phish for data by sending email confirmations about fake gift orders or touting deep discounts on hard-to-find products. Read up on ways to spot online shopping scams before snagging those too-good-to-be-true deals.
