Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with big sales and “doorbuster” deals to kick off the holiday shopping season — and most start before the Thanksgiving leftovers are put away. But in recent years, the line between the two days has blurred.
But which day typically has the very best deals? To help you navigate these shopping days and make sense of the huge number of sales, I spoke to retail experts about the differences between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, plus the types of deals you can typically score during each one.
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Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: What’s the difference?
Black Friday originated decades ago as a way to lure shoppers — many of whom had the day after Thanksgiving off — into stores. Cyber Monday, coined by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in 2005, was created as a virtual “alternative to the madness” of large crowds and long lines. It was also a way for retailers to prolong the shopping “demand and urgency,” with additional deals online just as people went back to work, according to Jessica Young, director of research data at Digital Commerce 360.
“Traditionally, Black Friday was all about the early morning in-store ‘doorbusters’ on a wide array of products, while Cyber Monday was an online promotion focused primarily on tech and electronics,” says Jared Watson, assistant professor of marketing at NYU Stern.
But Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t so different at this point. While Black Friday is still the king of the hill when it comes to shopping, it is now a month-long affair that subsumes Cyber Monday. “In that regard, it’s really just a parlor trick presented by retailers to generate additional buzz for similar products today,” says Watson.
Over the years, deals online and in-stores have been nearly identical during both shopping holidays. “The difference is smaller than it used to be because both days now function as part of a single, extended shopping cycle,” says Dr. Ngoc (Cindy) Pham, associate professor of management, marketing and entrepreneurship at Brooklyn College. “Years ago, Black Friday was the in-store shopping day, and Cyber Monday was the online shopping day. That separation no longer exists — they are simply two peaks in a longer sale period.” The focus is now on convenience, speed and inventory rather than strict timing. Fast shipping, flexible returns and online competition have made it challenging for consumers to differentiate between the two events, says Pham.
When do Black Friday deals start?
Black Friday deals seem to start earlier and earlier every year (some as early as late October) — and that’s entirely intentional. “It’s a race to capture consumers’ share-of-wallet, and the early bird often gets the worm,” says Watson. Earlier shopping also helps companies manage inventory and clear up financial projections, so earlier deals help satisfy all of these challenges simultaneously.
Black Friday used to be dedicated to in-person shopping, while Cyber Monday was for online shopping. But now, e-commerce dominates both events. “Retailers have stretched both events into multi-week promotions, so shoppers now see one long wave of deals instead of two distinct moments,” says Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot. People usually refer to the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday as “the Cyber Five,” and since early deals start weeks before the official events, the entire month of November is now concentrated with sales, with experts coining the term “Black November.”
The bulk of retailers now launch Black Friday pricing in the first or second week of November and keep promotions running through Cyber Monday, says Carls. By the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, nearly all brands and retailers have started their big sales. But they’ll often hold some of the doorbusters until Thursday or Friday to keep shoppers engaged, says Vipin Porwal, CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty.
“It’s a fact that Black Friday deals start earlier every year, and this year may have been the earliest due in part to tariffs, expected supply chain issues and the uncertain economy, as retailers have been pushing smaller sales out since the beginning of November,” says Porwal.
What should you buy on Black Friday versus Cyber Monday?
Black Friday still has the holiday factor, so it carries the feeling of a major shopping event that blends in-store excitement with online deals, says Pham. With that in mind, shoppers can expect strong discounts on big-ticket items such as large electronics like TVs, sound systems and gaming consoles, large home and kitchen appliances, mattresses, furniture, smart home devices, and home goods and seasonal decor to build on that momentum. These categories have the most significant price drops on Black Friday because retailers aim to clear high-inventory items and attract both in-store and online traffic, says Pham.
Cyber Monday, on the other hand, usually shines for smaller electronics, laptops, beauty, fashion and household essentials since brands use the day to capture shoppers who may have missed the earlier deals, says Carls. You can also find online-only deals from direct-to-consumer brands, as well as deals on digital subscriptions and software. “These products fit naturally with mobile and online shopping behavior, so the best deals are usually digital,” says Pham.
Keep in mind that, since deals are starting earlier in November, you may see fewer “deep” discounts and more “shallower” discounts over a longer period of time, says Watson. Economic changes and tariffs may also have an impact on the types of deals you see. “We might expect to see more limited inventory and shallower discounts than years’ past, but I wouldn’t expect it to be especially noticeable this year,” says Watson.
Are there better deals on Cyber Monday — and should you wait to shop?
No, you shouldn’t expect better discounts on Cyber Monday. “The deals are usually different rather than steeper,” says Carls. That means you shouldn’t wait to shop, either. A good rule of thumb: If something on your list is already on sale at a price you like, grab it. “For most items, waiting rarely pays off because the best prices appear throughout November,” says Carls. Stockouts, shipping delays and sudden price increases happen every year, and people who wait too long often miss out on the best color, size or model, says Pham.
However, if you miss Black Friday deals, don’t panic: Retailers sometimes treat Cyber Monday as a second chance to restock and move inventory, experts say. Plus, Cyber Monday does tend to offer some hidden deals on electronics and devices that are better than Black Friday, and you can expect many to last through the end of the week, says Porwal.
What about Travel Tuesday?
Experts recommend keeping an eye on Travel Tuesday, the day after Cyber Monday, which has become a major moment for airfare, hotel and vacation package discounts, says Carls. “Anyone planning trips for 2025 can find some of the lowest prices of the year during these promotions,” she says.
How much do people spend on Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday?
In terms of online spending, Cyber Monday consistently takes the lead. In 2024, shoppers spent a total of $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday, a 7.3% increase compared to 2023, according to Adobe. However, Black Friday remains the most popular day for both in-store and online shopping. Online shoppers totaled 87.3 million on Black Friday (Cyber Monday is the second most popular day for online shopping with 64.4 million), while 81.7 million people shopped in stores on Black Friday, an increase from the previous year (and the highest since the pandemic), according to the National Retail Federation.
Data shows that the interest in online shopping during Cyber Week, the five-day shopping period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, has been trending upward in the past few years. Last year, Cyber Week brought in $41.1 billion online overall, according to Adobe. This year, Adobe predicts that Cyber Week number to increase to $43.7 billion, and total holiday season spend (from Nov. 1-Dec. 31) to reach a record $253.4 billion.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday previous bestsellers
If you’re looking for inspiration for your Black Friday/Cyber Monday wishlist this year, here are NBC Select’s bestsellers from last year.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Jessica Young is the director of research data at Digital Commerce 360.
- Jared Watson is an assistant professor of marketing at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
- Dr. Ngoc (Cindy) Pham is an associate professor of management, marketing and entrepreneurship at Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business.
- Stephanie Carls is a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot.
- Vipin Porwal is the CEO of and a consumer savings expert at Smarty.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m an updates editor at NBC Select who has covered deals and sales for five years. I also cover topics like beauty, wellness and pets. For this article, I spoke to five retail experts about the differences between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and which one has better deals.
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