Filed under: Holiday Shopping, Shopping, Deals
By Louis Ramirez
One of the biggest myths about Black Friday is that the best deals will be on Friday itself. The writers and editors at DealNews have noticed that in recent years, stores have increasingly started releasing their deals earlier and earlier.
But if Black Friday is no longer the starting point, when should shoppers be looking? And, while we're at it, is Cyber Monday as good as it seems? We plotted our Editors' Choice deals -- sales that offered all-time price lows or best-of-the-year discounts -- from 2013 to find out.
For the Second Straight Year, Thanksgiving Day Beats Black Friday
By now, we're used to the idea of retailers opening their doors early on Thanksgiving Day. However, what consumers don't yet realize is that the deals you'll see on Thanksgiving Thursday will be better than those released on Friday. In fact, here at DealNews we found that Thanksgiving Day has 29 percent more Editors' Choice deals than Black Friday.
Moreover, Thanksgiving has seven times as many Editors' Choice deals than the average day in November, which is already a busy month for sales. Needless to say, consumers looking to save money should not wait until Black Friday and begin shopping as early as possible.
Cyber Monday Tops Black Friday for the First Time
While Cyber Monday still cowers in comparison to Thanksgiving (which features 16 percent more Editors' Choice deals), the day dedicated to e-commerce came into its own last year, offering more top-shelf deals than Black Friday proper.
That said, our data indicates that Cyber Monday shoppers should consider shopping early as the Saturday and Sunday leading up to Cyber Monday see a 40 percent increase (combined) in Editors' Choice deals compared to the previous weekend's count. The message is clear: Though you'll certainly find great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the days before are equally important, if not more so, because these shopping holidays are no longer about a single day.
Expect to See Monthlong Savings
While it may sound like consumers should do all their shopping on Thanksgiving Day, the truth is that all of November will see blockbuster sales. So if you see the item you want at a price that suits your budget, by all means don't wait to purchase that item later. If you're still uncertain, our editors will post several Black Friday sales critiques as the initial wave of circulars are leaked. Each post will highlight that store's best deals, while taking into account deals found in other circulars. Although the season was designed to benefit the retailer's bottom line, with our help, you can avoid overspending and take advantage of the sales that are true doorbusters.
Excited for Black Friday deals? Consider subscribing to the DealNews Select Newsletter to get a daily recap of DealNews deals. You can also download the DealNews app or get more buying advice.
