Cyber Monday Vs. Black Friday

Cyber Monday has been a part of the cultural zeitgeist since it’s creation back in 2005. The OTHER biggest sale day of the year was created for online companies and small brick and motor stores to compete with the heavy hitters in consumerism like Best Buy, JCP Penny, and Macy’s. Through time, company’s like Amazon, eBay, Overstock, and a few others have been dominating the market and appears to be winning the fight in traditional shopping after Thanksgiving. Walk-in stores like Walmart and Target have noticed the trend and now are taking part in Cyber Monday but the question still remains: Which day to buy is better? Cyber Monday or Black Friday? 

Society has grown to love and depend on the digital world. People spend a high number of hours on their phones and computers searching online social media sites, life hacks or becoming more informed about the world. One of the many topics that connect to all three of those is “shopping”. The number of consumers online continues to grow every year as the web has become so easily accessible. The Washington Post’s article, “Cyber Monday is usurping Black Friday — and changing the way retailers offer discounts”, written by Abha Bhattarai, proclaims some info on the rise of consumers shopping online. 

Bhattarai states, “For the first time, the majority of U.S. consumers — 54 percent — say they will do most of their holiday shopping online.” These findings were provided by the professional service firm, PWC. Bhattarai presents more data from PWC that consumer shopping the day after Thanksgiving has dropped.  She states, “An estimated 36 percent of consumers plan to shop the day after Thanksgiving this year, down from 51 percent in 2016.” These declining numbers were provided by the same study from PWC.  

PWC is not the only establishment that has noticed the shift in consumer shopping since the invention of Cyber Monday. Business Insider writer Monica Chin, reports on the subject of Cyber Monday in her article, “We asked the experts if Black Friday or Cyber Monday is the better day to shop — here's what they said, plus a few really good Black Friday deals”. In it, Chin spoke with Ted Donath, vice president of communications for the coupon and discount-shopping browser extension, Honey. 

Donath says, "When comparing the two days last year, we noticed more savings on Cyber Monday, as consumers shifted their purchasing channels online." To add more fuel to the fire, Honey’s research presents reports that Cyber Monday’s average savings in 2018 peaked at 21% per user’s per purchase. Though it isn’t a massive lead in front of Black Friday, it’s still a major hit to the sales day after Thanksgiving that has been significate in our modern culture. 

One would have to factor in the idea of what kind of items are worth going to the store on Black Friday and which are worth staying home to purchase on Cyber Monday. Continuing from Chin’s Cyber Monday article on Business Insider, the reporter was able to grab a quote from Vivek Pandya, Digital Insights Manager at Adobe. "TVs and appliances, you tend to get really great deals on Black Friday," said Pandya. "Cyber Monday, you see more of a focus on...other types of electronics that are newer niche, experimental technologies." 

The choice on what day to purchase “door-busting” items will really be left to the consumers who strive to grab the best deals for themselves and their loved ones. We know that these major sales days are around this time of the year so that consumers can save on their Christmas shopping. Yet, behind the scenes, it’s to help companies put their sales numbers in the “black” and make room for updated items. What was originally created to give a leg up on smaller business has now become a major competitor against Black Friday. Each of these annual sales days will duke it out for the top spot but don’t expect one to die off forever. That is just the way consumerism goes.