Yahoo Finance Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: Best time to buy?
Black Friday is without a doubt a staple time to grab a bargain, but which is better – Black Friday, its discount day partner Cyber Monday or neither?
Brits are set to spend a massive £6.6bn over the 2020 Black Friday sales period.
However, only two categories of products are actually cheapest on Black Friday, while just another two are usually cheapest on Cyber Monday, according to analysis by price comparison site idealo.
It's always worth checking out TVs, where the average lowest price per product is over £100 less on Black Friday in comparison to Cyber Monday and the following week – £840.49, compared to £943.11.
The data also suggests Black Friday is a good day for finding deals on trainers, though the price difference here is a more marginal £3.36 – £54.19, compared to £57.56.
Meanwhile, for DSLRs and men’s fragrances, it's best to hold off until Cyber Monday.
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In addition, Cyber Monday prices in 2019 for categories such as speakers, headphones and lego were significantly lower than three days previously on Black Friday.
Which sale day is better is very much dependent on what type of product you want to buy. Waiting until Cyber Monday would bring rewards in eight out of the 18 categories researched, whereas Black Friday was cheaper in the remaining 10, the research found.
What's more, waiting beyond both shopping events could be beneficial. In five categories, it was Thursday 5 December – six days after Black Friday – when prices dropped the most.
Washing machines, laptops, smartwatches, mobile phones and Lego all fall into this category, with some seeing particularly large decreases relative to Black Friday.
Meanwhile, fridges and speakers also saw their lowest prices in the two days after Cyber Monday, the data shows.
READ MORE: Black Friday sale – Top tips to spot best deals
“Black Friday is undoubtedly a great time to snap up a deal, however, it’s not the only time prices can drop,” said idealo’s Katy Phillips.
“There are several reasons why prices can fluctuate all year round, with many retailers using artificial intelligence and algorithms to dynamically adjust prices according to consumer demand, competitor prices, and even the weather.
“Many shoppers fall for the hype around Black Friday and are seduced by the big-ticket deals. However, our advice is to stay savvy across the Christmas period and continually compare prices to unearth even bigger bargains.”
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