Here's everything you need to know about Cyber Monday 2019

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• Cyber Monday began as the online version of Black Friday, where online retailers offered big discounts to match their brick-and-mortar counterparts. 
• Now Cyber Monday is the biggest shopping day of the year, surpassing even Black Friday in terms of revenue and sales. 
• Cyber Monday 2019 falls on December 2. Here’s everything you need to know, from start times to the best deals we’re tracking.
• To potentially save more on Cyber Monday deals this year, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date coupons and promo codes.

The biggest shopping day of the year is less than two weeks away. No, it’s not Black Friday. It’s actually Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving. 

The “holiday” was created in 2005 as the online version of the brick and mortar-focused Black Friday. But in the past few years, the event has taken on a life of its own, generating $7.9 billion in sales last year to Black Friday’s $6.2 billion. You can expect your favorite online stores, from Amazon to Target and Best Buy, to offer deals. In fact, we’re tracking the best Cyber Monday deals over here.

What is Cyber Monday, and where can you find the best deals? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving. Last year it was November 26; this year it’s December 2. 

Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day in the US. Every major online store usually offers discounts and bundles on all kinds of products. We’ll be hunting down all the best Cyber Monday deals over here, so be sure to bookmark the page.

You can also follow your favorite retailers on social media, subscribe to their newsletters, or download their apps so you can stay updated about all the best deals. 

What time does Cyber Monday start?

Cyber Monday deals will run around the clock, starting at 12 a.m. EST on December 2, 2019. 

However, many stores will also offer discounts in the days leading up to and following Cyber Monday in what’s known as Cyber Week. Last year, for example, Amazon’s official Cyber Monday frenzy began the Sunday before at 8 p.m. EST, but the site ran deals throughout the preceding weekend as well. 

We’ll be updating start and end times for all the major retailers over here. 

What is the point of Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday was created to encourage people to buy their Christmas presents online, as the Monday after Thanksgiving became an increasingly popular shopping day. Over the past decade, Cyber Monday has become the biggest online shopping day in the US, raking in billions for retailers each year. 

For shoppers, it’s an excellent day to get a jump on your Christmas shopping or buy things for yourself, especially if you’re looking for bargains. In particular, it’s a great day to buy tech gadgets and older generations of big-ticket tech items. In our experiences, the latest versions of items like TVs, phones, and soundbars are just ever-so-slightly better than their predecessors, but not enough to pay the higher prices.

What sites do Cyber Monday?

If you can name any website that sells things, it’s probably offering Cyber Monday deals. 

Janet Alveraz, executive editor of the personal-finance publication Wise Bread, believes Amazon is one of the best places to shop, especially compared to Black Friday. “Amazon shopping, in general, tends to be better on Cyber Monday,” Alveraz said. “But remember, that only holds true if you’re an Amazon Prime member.” 

While it may be tempting to search only for new products, eBay is also an excellent place to shop on Cyber Monday. “You’ll find a lot of people reselling items they just purchased on Black Friday,” Alveraz told Business Insider. 

Major participants in Cyber Monday include:

• Amazon
• Nordstrom
• Walmart
• Best Buy
• Target
• Macy’s
• Wayfair
• Rent The Runway
• Leesa
• Burrow
• Zappos

To keep track of your favorite stores’ best deals, subscribe to their online newsletters, follow their social media, and download their apps. 

Are Cyber Monday deals the same as Black Friday’s?

Most major stores offer both Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. However, they won’t necessarily be the same deals. Last year, Cyber Monday had slightly better deals overall; shoppers saw an average of 2.5% greater savings. 

Generally, Black Friday is a better day to shop for expensive, big-ticket items, while Cyber Monday is preferable for gadgets, gifts, and older-generation tech.

Make sure you plan out your purchases in advance and look through Cyber Monday ads to figure out when (and where) each product you’re looking for will see the lowest price. We’ll also be tracking the best Cyber Monday deals so you can plan ahead too. 

Is Amazon doing Cyber Monday?

Yes, Amazon participates in Cyber Monday; last year’s Cyber Monday was the biggest shopping day in its history. 

The site usually offers deals on Cyber Monday as well as the days before and after; last year, Amazon’s Cyber Monday deals began the Sunday before. The retailer dubbed the subsequent week “Cyber Monday Deals Week” and continued to provide discounts each day. 

Many of Amazon’s Cyber Monday Deals are “Lightning Deals,” which offer a limited quantity of items at a big discount. You can check the status bar on the left side of a product’s page to see how close it is to being fully claimed before prices jump back up. Prepare to act fast on these; the most popular ones can sell out in seconds. If a lightning deal has run out, you can join its waitlist to receive a notification if the discount pops up again. 

Note that Many Amazon deals are only available to Prime members, so you’ll want to sign up over here. An annual membership costs $119 (slightly less if you’re a student), but there are a ton of free perks in addition to access to Lightning Deals and free 2-day shipping that justify the membership fee. Here’s a primer on 31 Amazon Prime benefits.

To get a feel for what’s on sale, peruse our list of the site’s early Cyber Monday deals on products like the Kindle Paperwhite, Fire TV Stick With Alexa Voice Remote, and more. 

Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Apple rarely discounts its own devices for Cyber Monday.

However, some third-party stores like Target and Best Buy provide “discounts” on Apple products like iPhones, Macbooks, and the like in the form of gift-card bundles or trade-in credit. You can also check eBay, Amazon Marketplace, or other resellers for refurbished versions of Apple devices, which can sell for hundreds of dollars below MSRP.

Take a look at our Apple Cyber Monday Deals hub to see the best Apple deals from last year’s Cyber Monday, as well as our comprehensive Cyber Monday tech deals to see the best Apple deals from retailers like Target and Best Buy.

See more Cyber Monday 2019 sales and deals

• The absolute best Cyber Monday deals of 2019
• The best tech deals of Cyber Monday 2019
• Everything you need to know about when Cyber Monday deals start and end
• Amazon best Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Target best Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Walmart best Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Macy’s best Cyber Monday deals 2019
• Wayfair best Cyber Monday deals 2019

Check out all our Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage

The Insider Picks team will be reporting the best Cyber Monday deals in real-time from big-box retailers — like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and Nordstrom — and direct-to-consumer startups like Casper, Leesa, and Brooklinen.  

To potentially save more on deals this holiday season, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date coupons and promo codes. And, check out our list of the best Black Friday deals while you’re at it — some of them will still be going strong all weekend. 

• Best Black Friday deals
• Best Black Friday tech deals
• Is Black Friday or Cyber Monday better?
• What to buy on Black Friday and what to avoid
• When is Black Friday?
• Amazon Black Friday deals
• Nordstrom Black Friday deals
• Macy’s Black Friday deals
• Walmart Black Friday deals
• Target Black Friday deals
• Best Buy Black Friday deals
• Kohl’s Black Friday deals
• eBay Black Friday deals
• The Home Depot Black Friday deals
• Gamestop Black Friday deals
• Sephora Black Friday deals
• Best Black Friday 2019 mattress deals

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