How Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday

Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November) is quite known in this parts and famed for its great price reduction of products on sales. However, another less known special day is Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday. “Cyber Monday” was created by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online and it is simply the digital version of Black Friday.

Besides the obvious difference of shopping in the comfort of your home, Cyber Monday differs from Black Friday as a key bargain-hunting day in significant ways.

Traditionally, Cyber Monday emphasized deals on electronic goods, but these days it has turned into a mammoth Cyber Week event, with online sales on clothes, books and more. Here are some key points from ABC News.

1. More People Buy Later in the Day

Maybe America’s worker bees can’t sneak in time to shop online during Cyber Monday. Last year, Cyber Monday online sales peaked between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, with sales that hour totaling $150 million, according to Adobe Digital Index Market Research. On Black Friday last year, online shopping sales peaked from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., bringing in the same $150 million for retailers.

2. Shoppers Do More Research

According to an AOL survey, 83 percent of Cyber Monday shoppers reported researching online before shopping, compared with 64 percent of Black Friday shoppers.

3. Fewer Ads

While retailers notify shoppers and the media of their Black Friday deals days or sometimes weeks in advance, there is less notice on Cyber Monday deals.

“Retailers want to tempt you with as many deals as possible, without discouraging early shopping,” writes Josie Rubio of DealNews.

4. People May Spend More

The average shopper spends $468 on Cyber Monday, compared with $309 on Black Friday, according to an AOL survey.

5. Slightly More People May Shop, With Gender Differences

According to a Nielsen study, 52 percent of all survey respondents said they plan to shop on Black Friday this year, with men slightly more enthusiastic than women: 53 percent of men said they plan to shop in-store, compared with 50 percent of women. The 1,150 respondents were 18 years and older.

Slightly more shoppers (55 percent) plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year than Black Friday. But women will be more active on Cyber Monday: 60 percent of women plan to shop Cyber Monday versus 50 percent of men.