What is Cyber Monday and how is it different to Black Friday?

WORDS Elyssa Kostopoulos PHOTOGRAPHY IMDb PUBLISHED Sat, 25 Nov 2023 - 2:00 pm

If you have refreshed your emails, scrolled through social media or simply checked the internet over the last week, you would have been bombarded by an overwhelming amount of information about Black Friday sales. Although Black Friday is largely considered as one of the largest shopping events of the year, it's certainly not the only or last chance to treat yourself leading up to Christmas. Introducing Cyber Monday, Black Friday's lesser known, but equally as exciting sale-sibling. But what is Cyber Monday and how is it different to Black Friday?

Cyber Monday, which is taking place this year on Monday, December 2, 2024, originally came about as the online alternative to Black Friday. Historically, Black Friday has traditionally been an in-store, brick-and-mortar event – taking place the day after Thanksgiving where many Americans had the day off and would tend to spend it shopping with their family. Due to globalisation and the rising power of the internet, many international online retailers wanted to capitalise on the successfulness of the shopping day, but were worried that they would come second to the in-store Black Friday sales; and so, Cyber Monday was born. And thank goodness for those of us who don't want to leave our homes to indulge in the great sales.

The term 'Cyber Monday' was officially coined in 2005, and since then, has grown to become the biggest online shopping event of the year, and the second largest sale after Black Friday. In America, Cyber Monday and Black Friday are treated as two completely different sales, however, here in Australia most retailers continue their Black Friday sales through to the Monday with very little changes. In saying that, some shoppers still prefer to wait till Cyber Monday to make their purchases, in case of any extra discounts that might arise – the risk of course, is that the items you have your heart set on may already be sold out.

Shopping Cyber Monday sales can certainly be overwhelming, especially when there are so many impressive discounts to choose from. In the spirit of taking a more sustainable approach to sale season, we recommend looking out for items you've had your eye on and will last the test of time; such as good quality homewares and 'forever' wardrobe staples. If you're searching for some guidance, look no further than our RUSSH editor approved sale guide for all the sales that are worth shopping.