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If you see a good Black Friday deal on something you want to buy this week, buy it. Do not expect a "best" theoretical sale on Monday, November 26 (Cyber Monday). I do not wait and I think no one else should wait either.
To be clear: I do not suggest buying things you do not need. Or that you feel compelled to buy anything – the overwhelming majority of products on sale is something you can do without, or junk food that your kids do not need. But I know that many of you are savvy buyers who are waiting to stock up for a new TV, portable, smart speaker, game console and others at the best price of the year. If that's your case, take out this credit card at any time of the week, if you see a price that's right for you. But feel free to pull the trigger from here Friday because, in my opinion, Cyber Monday is not worth the wait.
Here's why:
"Electronic Monday sales" are usually only "Black Friday sales" with a name change
What's in a name? Not much in terms of the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Black Friday was referring to sales that were literally the day (or the weekend) after Thanksgiving. (That the term "Black Friday" is based on the belief that post-Thanksgiving recipes were sufficient to put retailers "in black" for the year unrelated to your current trading dilemmas). But now, "Black Friday" is actually the code for "November sale price". Many sales started last weekend, others are on track. Amazon leaves the customers get the sale prices of Black Friday if they order by voice on Alexa, and The Walmart online auction starts Wednesday night at 10 pm AND. And that does not include the massive PS4 and Xbox One sales that started everywhere on Sunday.
And when Black Friday – the very day after Thanksgiving – is over, these same retailers are starting to advertise "Cyber Monday Sales" (or "Cyber Week Sales") online. But real prices and items for sale are often exactly the same at the same price. It's less a new sale, and more a SEO game on a different term.
"But wait," you say. "This is not true … I have some of the best deals of all time waiting for Cyber Monday." This may be true a few years ago, when there was a clear boundary between "physical stores" (Walmart, Target) and "online retailers" (Amazon, eBay), the latter seeking to disassociate themselves a single slice of the pie. But look around: these distinctions disappear, if not completely. Walmart has just replaced Apple to become the third largest online retailer, and Amazon is opening of physical stores everywhere – and that does not even count Whole foods. Most forward-thinking retailers have become fans of delivery in two days until Christmas Eve, and those who do not die – I'm watching you, Toys R Us and Sears.
In summary: Thursday's 40% "Early Black Friday" reduction becomes Sunday's new 40% "Pre-Cyber Monday" reduction. Same sale, different day.
If you wait until Cyber Monday, some good things may have already been exhausted.
Speaking of these great deals of $ 199 on PS4 and Xbox One – some of them, at least, are already starting to disappear. The PS4 pack was removed from the Walmart site Monday morning and has stopped flashing since. It has also been difficult to find online on Best Buy, GameStop and Target. The same thing happened last year with the console bundles. And let's not even talk about the NES Classic and SNES Classic from years past. These two seem more available this year than ever before – for now – but again, who knows for how long.
This agreement "Black Friday" is already gone – 3 days before Black Friday.
Walmart / CNET Screen Capture
To be clear, it is possible and even likely that these and other items get stock replenishments at key intervals over the long weekend and then again on Monday. However, there is no guarantee that some of these items on sale will be in stock by Monday. And if the price is the same, why wait?
Yes, the gorgeous Vizio P-Series Quantum is still out of stock for $ 1,400 (club) / $ 1,500 (goal, best buy), but Vizio says he'll soon replenish his stock. No mention of when, however. Let me know if you get one! https://t.co/LhmnPOtrHS
– David Katzmaier (@dkatzmaier) November 21, 2018
Some of these "offers" from Cyber Monday are anything but
Full Disclosure: This Target press release released earlier this week is part of what prompted me to write it. The press release mentions the following balances from Sunday, November 25, which he describes as "good deals":
- Swagtron Metro Hoverboard with LED Lights, $ 150, allowing guests to save $ 80 ($ 230)
- Philips Analog 4-quart Air Fryer, $ 100, allowing customers to save $ 100 ($ 200 Reg.)
- Incredible offers on vacuum cleaners, including iRobot Roomba 960, $ 450 ($ 250 savings) and Dyson V8 Absolute, $ 350 ($ 150 savings)
- Graco DuetConnect LX Swing and Bouncer, $ 100, allowing customers to save $ 50 (about $ 150)
- 15 percent off all KidKraft doll houses and kitchens
These may be good discounts, but note: Roomba 960 and Dyson V8 Absolute are available at the indicated price. now at Target (Roomba, Dyson) and Amazon (Roomba, Amazon). In fact, the Graco DuetConnect seems to be $ 5 cheaper than the Cyber Monday price at the target price – $ 95 at the time of writing these lines. (There are several models, so I can not be sure that it's the one in question.)
I do not blame Target here – nothing really bad happens. But the fact is that the fact that something is wearing a big red SALE tag does not necessarily mean that it's a very good deal.
What about December?
Breathe deeply: I'm not saying that you're out of luck if you have not finished all your holiday shopping before you even microwave your first Thanksgiving remnants. And yes, there will be new offers on Monday. Oh, and we will definitely collect all the best offers from Cyber Monday, even if they have just been renamed Black Friday Sales.
And once the dust settles down after this week of crazy shopping, I'm sure we'll see more sales in December. Maybe even better deals than Black Friday, too. And if you would like to bet on these four precious weekends between cyber monday and the Christmas robbery, be my guest: I will pack the gifts I've bought during the Thanksgiving weekend as you fight the crowds at the mall or that next day delivery.
Originally released November 21 at 3:30 pm Pacific Time.
Look at this:
Best deals to mark big black friday
1:14
Black Friday 2018 offers in each category
Black Friday 2018 deals for specific devices
Black Friday 2018 Offers by Store
Black Friday 2018: the complete CNET coverage
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