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Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there's plenty of opportunities to snag a good deal in the coming days. What you may not know, though, is that some items are better purchased on Black Friday than Cyber Monday—and vice versa. Thanks to BlackFriday.com, we've got the inside scoop on what type of items you should be buying on each day for the absolute best deals. Here's what the BlackFriday.com team had to say about the sales this year:
What to Buy Thanksgiving/Black Friday
- TVs: Black Friday is about the doorbusters, and TVs lead the doorbuster charge. You’ll find 4K TVs at the lowest prices you’ll find all year - and most of these deals will start the week of Thanksgiving instead of Black Friday. While those famous doorbusters will be in limited supply, the Black Friday TV craze will pull down the prices of all models, so you’ll be getting a deal even if you don’t snag a doorbuster. While you’ll also see some good Cyber Monday TV deals, the discounts won’t be as dramatic, and the selection won’t be as big.
- Toys: Toys are another popular Black Friday item and they fill retailers’ Black Friday ads. But it’s not just low prices that make Black Friday the best day to shop for toys - hot toys will sell out fast for the holidays, especially with parents wanting new ways to entertain and occupy their children at home, so you’ll want to buy as soon as possible. The most popular toys will be sold out before Black Friday draws to a close, so forget about waiting until Cyber Monday. Instead, get started on your toy shopping at least the Monday before Thanksgiving (as many retailers will start their Black Friday toy deals on Thanksgiving Day or earlier).
- Gaming Consoles: Gaming console prices drop in price on Black Friday because they are sought-after holiday gifts. And the popularity of the newest systems means you’ll want to hit the ground running before Black Friday instead of waiting a few days. Although you’ll still see some gaming deals on Cyber Monday, last year we did see that the most popular consoles kept selling out.
- Appliances: Department stores like Macy’s and electronics stores such as Best Buy go all in on Black Friday, discounting practically everything they carry. In addition to the more celebrated discounts on electronics, you’ll find plenty of discounts in the appliance department as well. With many people spending more time at home, there is higher demand for appliances. If your home needs some upgrades, Black Friday is a smart time to shop for refrigerators, ranges, washer/dryer combos as well as air fryers, instant pots, KitchenAid mixers and microwave ovens.
- Footwear: You probably don’t think of footwear when you imagine Black Friday, but maybe you should. Unless you’re the type of sneaker wearer who only grabs the cheapest options, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great days to find sales.
What to Buy Cyber Monday
- Laptops/PCs: Cyber Monday centers on tech deals, meaning laptops, desktops and gaming PCs will be in the spotlight. You’ll find plenty of computer deals on Black Friday, it’s true, but you’ll see those deals repeated (or slightly improved) on Cyber Monday when eBay, Newegg and Amazon target tech shoppers. And don’t forget about accessories. External storage, memory cards, cables, keyboards, headphones, earbuds and the like will all be marked down as well. Also, with so many working from home, expect demand for home office equipment to be high. If you are looking for deals on monitors, printers or desk chairs, shop early.
- Clothing: This year, expect clothing stores to offer significant discounts during Cyber Monday. Clothing sellers, such as ASOS, Old Navy, J.Crew, Gap and others, have a fantastic Cyber Monday tradition for clothing shoppers - sitewide discount codes. While Black Friday may boast deep discounts on specific items, we think sitewide promo codes are a far more time-efficient way to save because you don't have to worry about buying specific products.
- Travel: Save your online travel bookings for Cyber Monday. Even though the travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, you’ll still find airlines offering heavily discounted tickets on certain routes and travel sites offering flash deals on vacation packages. And with some airlines still dropping change fees, expect deals to be more flexible than in years past and the discounts to be steep for domestic travel. Booking sites, cruise lines and resorts alike are eager to sell inventory to recover from the impact of the pandemic, and Cyber Monday deals should be enticing.
- Online Subscriptions, Streaming Services and Educational Software: One little-known area with big potential discounts, especially during the pandemic, is online subscriptions. This is your opportunity to try out new streaming services, such as Paramount Plus or Disney+, that will potentially have subscription discounts, get a jump start on your New Year’s resolutions and score a discounted Rosetta Stone or MasterClass membership. And top up your to-listen list with Audible.
Buy on Either Black Friday or Cyber Monday
- Smart Home Devices: With people spending more time at home because of the pandemic, demand for DIY and home upgrades will be higher. Smart home assistants (including Amazon’s Echo and Google Home) fall in price for the entirety of Thanksgiving weekend. Plus, smart lights, smart doorbells and smart thermostats will be on sale, too.
- Phones: Phone deals are plentiful on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And with the release of the new iPhone 13 and new Google Pixel options, there will be plenty of new models on the market. We’ve noticed a slight change for the latest phone models between Friday and Monday. Black Friday has trended toward retail-gift-cards-with-purchase deals, while Cyber Monday deals were more likely to be BOGO specials offered by carriers.
What do you plan to purchase on Black Friday and Cyber Mo