Shoppers are racing to finish their holiday gift buying (and maybe grab something for themselves), and there are plenty of great deals available right now. But come December 26, we're in a whole new ballgame, as retailers will be eager to get rid of any huge holiday inventories they still have, with no major shopping weekends until Presidents' Day.
That means there will be much better discounts on things like apparel, electronics, and fitness gear... if you can wait a bit. If you're not shopping for holiday gifts and just looking to score the best prices, check out our list of what you shouldn't buy before Christmas.
Clothing
Apparel deals dominate After Christmas sales. Last year, some of our most popular sales during that time included discounts from 6PM, Nordstrom, Target, Banana Republic, Columbia, and Victoria's Secret.
Winter coats, hats, and gloves, which are sometimes excluded from Black Friday sales, will see deeper discounts at this point in the season. Sales went as high as 70% off select items (at Amazon), with most discounts around 40% or 50%, plus additional discounts on clearance items.
Cameras
Did you blow all your holiday shopping money on laptops, phones, and tablets? While these will see some discounts after Christmas, there's another tech category that's really impressing us with deals: cameras. Our own Marcy Bonebright points out that 40% of after-Christmas camera deals have been Editors' Choice in the last three years. And remember, there's still plenty of things your phone can't do that a camera can.
If you really want to maximize the value of your camera purchase, consider a refurb. The best deals we see are factory-refurbished units from Canon, Nikon, and more. These items, restored to almost-new condition and backed by manufacturer warranties, are even preferred by some experts.
Audio Gear
Bonebright adds that just like cameras, headphone and home theater deals will be on fire after Christmas, with 41% checking in as Editors' Choice. However, true audiophiles will have to continue paying top dollar: We don't typically see high-end gear at Editors' Choice prices this late in the year. Expect bargains on entry-level to mid-tier gear from brands like Pioneer, Sony, Polk, Klipsch, and Beats.
Sports and Fitness Equipment
Retailers love to take advantage of those New Years' resolutions to get in shape by offering deals on sports and fitness equipment. While we don't necessarily see more deals or all-time lows after Christmas, we definitely saw better sitewide discounts from a range of stores.
Last year, stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Sears, and NordicTrack had after-Christmas discounts of 25% to 50% on select sporting and fitness goods, sometimes on top of clearance discounts. Groupon even had sales of up to 90% off fitness deals.
This is also traditionally a good time to get deals on gym memberships.
Video Games
This will be a great time to stock up on your favorite video game titles, especially for older systems. Like audio equipment and cameras, over 40% of video game deals are expected to be Editors' Choice during the upcoming after Christmas sales. Last year, we saw Xbox One games starting at $8.
Christmas Decorations
We know you want to enjoy your motorcycle-riding Santa now, but the best time of year to buy Christmas decorations from a savings perspective is the day after Christmas. On December 26, prices on holiday decor will drop 40% to 75% at stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, and Pottery Barn. Last year, inflatable lawn ornaments were the best bet, with select items marked all the way down to $15. So if you need any more festive things for decking the halls, consider stocking up for next year.
20% OFF Pier 1 Coupon Code - Select Christmas Decor, All Christmas Fragrances, All Christmas Ornaments! Online & instore now through Dec 5.2016!
What do you think, reader? What are you waiting to buy until after the holidays? Let us know in the comments below.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Does It Matter When You Shop on Cyber Monday?
How Quickly Do Deals Disappear?
To figure this out, we looked at data on sales that started on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday 2015. We checked when sales started and ended, looking for sales that lasted less than an hour as well as sales that lasted less than 24 hours.
But there's one thing to bear in mind: Amazon's quick-moving lightning deals (and other deals like them). While not all of them sell out instantly, particularly too-good-to-be-true offers are gone in a flash. These deals come and go too fast for us to record, and they aren't reflected in these numbers. Unfortunately, that makes them tough to plan for, too — Unless they are advertised beforehand, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
SEE ALSO: Amazon Cyber Monday Sales Are Now Live!
However, it's not all doorbusters and lightning deals. Of the sales we record, very few deals sell out in an hour or less:
Thanksgiving Day: 0.8% of sales over within an hour
Black Friday: 0.5% of sales over within an hour
Cyber Monday: 1.4% of sales over within an hour
If we look beyond the one hour window, 4% of deals expired within two hours, 6% of deals expired within three hours, 9% of deals expired within four hours, and 12% of deals expired within five hours.
And, in fact, many are available for a full 24 hours — or longer — before they're gone. But once again, Cyber Monday sales are more fleeting than on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Thanksgiving Day: 26% of sales over within 24 hours
Black Friday: 36% of sales over within 24 hours
Cyber Monday: 61% of sales over within 24 hours
So whether you shop today for just a few minutes, or are glued to your screen all day, you can get deals. If you can't find any Cyber Monday shopping time at all? Many deals continue into the rest of the week, though not as many as on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
When Do Deals Begin?
Last year, we found discounts spread pretty evenly throughout the day. The largest spike of new deals came at 2 pm ET, but that only accounted for 6% of the day's total deals — meaning there's no single good time to shop. You'll find deals launching at a steady pace from around 7 am to 8 pm.
SEE ALSO: 7 Ways Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday
When Do Deals End?
New deals roll out steadily throughout Cyber Monday, but when they end is more clear cut. In 2015, a full 53% of deals ended between 11 pm and midnight — and most of those at 11:59 pm. Even if you can't make time to check Cyber Monday deals all day, there are still a lot of deals left (but about to come to an end!) just before midnight. And remember, 49% of the deals that start on Cyber Monday will last more than 24 hours.
Who Has the Best Deals on Cyber Monday?
It's no surprise that massive online retailer Amazon is the leader on Cyber Monday sales, making up a solid 8% of the day's deals. Just behind them was Dell Home, accounting for 6% of the day's deals, and Target with 5%. But if your favorite store isn't on this list, don't worry: 35% of Black Friday and 34% of Thanksgiving Day deals are still happening by Cyber Monday.
Thirty-five percent of Black Friday and 34% of Thanksgiving Day deals are still happening by Cyber Monday.
If you're looking for deals that sell out quickly, last year they came from Dell Home (40%), Amazon (20%), B&H Photo Video (20%), HP (10%) and eBay (10%). But remember, Amazon is king of the lightning deal, and that's where you're most likely to find deals that sell out before they ever made it to our data.
When to Shop on Cyber Monday
While deals move faster on Cyber Monday than they do on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, the strategy to get the best deals is basically the same. Because deals begin and end at different times on each day, it's important to research in advance so you know when the item you want will be available. If it's in limited quantity, snag it immediately.
SEE ALSO: The Top 10 Stores for Cyber Monday Deals in 2016
If you want to snatch up those lightning deals, your plan will be to stay glued to your computer or mobile device. While we may see fast-moving deals elsewhere, your best bet is to watch Amazon's Deals page for the latest.
Getting one of these deals is all about being on the right page at the right time. If you miss a must-have deal, be sure to click to join the waitlist. This option will only appear when other shoppers have added the item to their cart but haven't checked out yet. So if they ultimately don't purchase the item, it will be available for shoppers on the waitlist.
If you're just browsing, check in online a few times during the day to see what's available. Do a last glance before midnight when most deals will expire.
To figure this out, we looked at data on sales that started on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday 2015. We checked when sales started and ended, looking for sales that lasted less than an hour as well as sales that lasted less than 24 hours.
But there's one thing to bear in mind: Amazon's quick-moving lightning deals (and other deals like them). While not all of them sell out instantly, particularly too-good-to-be-true offers are gone in a flash. These deals come and go too fast for us to record, and they aren't reflected in these numbers. Unfortunately, that makes them tough to plan for, too — Unless they are advertised beforehand, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
SEE ALSO: Amazon Cyber Monday Sales Are Now Live!
However, it's not all doorbusters and lightning deals. Of the sales we record, very few deals sell out in an hour or less:
Thanksgiving Day: 0.8% of sales over within an hour
Black Friday: 0.5% of sales over within an hour
Cyber Monday: 1.4% of sales over within an hour
If we look beyond the one hour window, 4% of deals expired within two hours, 6% of deals expired within three hours, 9% of deals expired within four hours, and 12% of deals expired within five hours.
And, in fact, many are available for a full 24 hours — or longer — before they're gone. But once again, Cyber Monday sales are more fleeting than on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Thanksgiving Day: 26% of sales over within 24 hours
Black Friday: 36% of sales over within 24 hours
Cyber Monday: 61% of sales over within 24 hours
So whether you shop today for just a few minutes, or are glued to your screen all day, you can get deals. If you can't find any Cyber Monday shopping time at all? Many deals continue into the rest of the week, though not as many as on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
When Do Deals Begin?
Last year, we found discounts spread pretty evenly throughout the day. The largest spike of new deals came at 2 pm ET, but that only accounted for 6% of the day's total deals — meaning there's no single good time to shop. You'll find deals launching at a steady pace from around 7 am to 8 pm.
SEE ALSO: 7 Ways Cyber Monday Is Different From Black Friday
When Do Deals End?
New deals roll out steadily throughout Cyber Monday, but when they end is more clear cut. In 2015, a full 53% of deals ended between 11 pm and midnight — and most of those at 11:59 pm. Even if you can't make time to check Cyber Monday deals all day, there are still a lot of deals left (but about to come to an end!) just before midnight. And remember, 49% of the deals that start on Cyber Monday will last more than 24 hours.
Who Has the Best Deals on Cyber Monday?
It's no surprise that massive online retailer Amazon is the leader on Cyber Monday sales, making up a solid 8% of the day's deals. Just behind them was Dell Home, accounting for 6% of the day's deals, and Target with 5%. But if your favorite store isn't on this list, don't worry: 35% of Black Friday and 34% of Thanksgiving Day deals are still happening by Cyber Monday.
Thirty-five percent of Black Friday and 34% of Thanksgiving Day deals are still happening by Cyber Monday.
If you're looking for deals that sell out quickly, last year they came from Dell Home (40%), Amazon (20%), B&H Photo Video (20%), HP (10%) and eBay (10%). But remember, Amazon is king of the lightning deal, and that's where you're most likely to find deals that sell out before they ever made it to our data.
When to Shop on Cyber Monday
While deals move faster on Cyber Monday than they do on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, the strategy to get the best deals is basically the same. Because deals begin and end at different times on each day, it's important to research in advance so you know when the item you want will be available. If it's in limited quantity, snag it immediately.
SEE ALSO: The Top 10 Stores for Cyber Monday Deals in 2016
If you want to snatch up those lightning deals, your plan will be to stay glued to your computer or mobile device. While we may see fast-moving deals elsewhere, your best bet is to watch Amazon's Deals page for the latest.
Getting one of these deals is all about being on the right page at the right time. If you miss a must-have deal, be sure to click to join the waitlist. This option will only appear when other shoppers have added the item to their cart but haven't checked out yet. So if they ultimately don't purchase the item, it will be available for shoppers on the waitlist.
If you're just browsing, check in online a few times during the day to see what's available. Do a last glance before midnight when most deals will expire.
4 Things That Are BETTER to Buy on Cyber Monday
Black Friday is grand, but not everything bags the best discount that day. Still, it can be hard to know if you should bite on those early deals, or hold out for a better bargain on Cyber Monday. That's why we've picked out the top four types of items that are best purchased during online shopping's biggest holiday, which is November 28 this year.
SEE ALSO: 6 Things NOT to Buy on Cyber Monday
Clothing and Shoes
Clothes? On Cyber Monday? Strangely, yes! While we saw roughly the same number of clothing deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year, nearly twice as many of the deals we posted on Cyber Monday were hot enough to receive our Editors' Choice mark. It's not a bad time for shoe deals, either. More shoe deals were available on Black Friday, but (again) we noticed more Editors' Choice shoe deals on Cyber Monday.
Travel
Travel is actually a great purchase to consider on Cyber Monday. We saw similar quantities of deals on Black Friday and Thanksgiving, but observed more Editors' Choice deals on Cyber Monday last year than on both of the other holidays combined.
SEE ALSO: 10 Awesome Travel Deals That Are for Locals Only
What kind of offers can you expect? In 2015 there were a lot of discounts on hotel bookings, including up to 30% off stays at Hilton Hotels and over 50% off bookings made through Travelocity. We also saw deals on flights and cruises.
Beauty Products
Why would beauty supply stores hold major sales on Cyber Monday? It's not really clear, but it seems like they're all doing it! On Cyber Monday last year, we saw the best sitewide discounts everfrom The Body Shop and stellar sales from Sephora, Bath & Body Works, FragranceX.com, Lancome, E.L.F. Cosmetics, and more.
Many of these stores had better or more flexible sales on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday. For example, Perfumania offered stacking 25% off and $5 off $50 deals on Black Friday... only to take 30% off on Cyber Monday, in addition to the $5 off $50.
What About Electronics?
Expect to see great sales on cell phones, tablets, and the like on Cyber Monday, though we can't say those sales are better than Black Friday week's offerings. For instance, Cyber Monday is just not a good day for iPhone sales (focus on Thanksgiving for those), and we saw an equal number of Android deals across all the shopping holidays last year.
SEE ALSO: What to Expect From Best Buy on Cyber Monday 2016
While Cyber Monday holds an edge over Black Friday on laptop deals, it's a slight one. As for tablets, you'll likely see terrific deals on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but we saw more Editors' Choice deals on Black Friday last year.
Readers, what do you typically hunt for on Cyber Monday? What are your favorite stores to check out? Let us know in the comments below.
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