What to buy and what to skip during Cyber Monday 2022
Expert tips for making the most out of the online shopping event.
The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite were both top sellers on Cyber Monday 2021, as were other gaming systems such as the Xbox Series X and Meta Quest 2. You can play the handheld Nintendo Switch on the go or slide it into the included dock and connect it to a TV. The device also comes with two Joy-Con controllers for multiplayer gaming.
Video games make great holiday gifts and some of the most popular ones shoppers bought last year were Just Dance 2022, Mario Party Superstars, Spider Man: Miles Morales, FIFA 22 and Metroid Dread.
One of the best times for toy deals, in 2021, some of the hottest toys were Hot Wheels, Nerf toys, Baby Alive, Paw Patrol, Squeakee toys and Tamagotchi Pix. Hot Wheels Color Shifters set comes with five mini vehicles that change color when dunked in warm water. A dip in cold water brings them back to their original shade.
Shoppers added laptops from brands like Lenovo, Dell and HP to their Cyber Monday carts in 2021. This Lenovo Chromebook has a slim profile and a 360-degree hinge that lets you to use it as a computer or tablet. It’s designed with an 11-inch touchscreen and 720-pixel webcam, says the brand, and has a 10-hour battery life, making it great for travel.
Sony and Samsung were two of the most popular TV brands during Cyber Monday last year, Adobe says. This Sony model has a X1 4K HDR processor for a smooth, clear and vibrant picture, according to the brand. The TV also works with a variety of streaming services and Amazon Alexa once paired with compatible devices.
Because the line between Black Friday and Cyber Monday has blurred over the years — and because deals now start so early — many shoppers are wondering, is Cyber Monday still a “thing”?
Experts unanimously agreed that yes, Cyber Monday is still a thing. In fact, it’s historically the biggest day for online shopping every year, and Cyber Monday 2020 was the biggest day for online shopping in U.S. history. Shoppers who forget to shop during Black Friday get another chance on Cyber Monday, and many see Cyber Monday as their last chance to score the best discounts of the year. “A sense of urgency kicks in,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. This incentivizes people to make purchases and finish crossing off everything on their lists before Tuesday rolls around.
“Cyber Week” refers to the rest of the week following Cyber Monday, which is full of sales and deals from online retailers. Consumers are more likely to shop early rather than shop late, said the experts, but retailers allow deals to linger to capitalize on last-minute shoppers.
Originally, Black Friday was for in-person shopping and Cyber Monday was for online shopping, which meant different products were on sale at different retailers. Not anymore: “We’ve been seeing that Cyber Monday offers a lot of repeat deals from Black Friday,” Pandya said. “We’ve seen a couple instances where a Cyber Monday deal was slightly different or slightly better compared to Black Friday. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a lot of the same.”
When early Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals go live in mid-October or November, discounts are usually between 5% and 15%, said Pandya. But deals get deeper as Thanksgiving weekend nears. Pandya said you’ll get the best discounts the week of Thanksgiving and are likely to see products between 30% and 50% off. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you probably won’t see prices drop significantly — whatever the deal is on Black Friday will usually last through Cyber Monday. After Cyber Monday, any deals that stick around are weak, Pandya said.
Below are tips experts recommend keeping in mind while you’re shopping Cyber Monday sales to ensure you saving the most money during the event.
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
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