Cyber Monday deals guide
Retailers are cagey about their Cyber Monday deals. They don’t want consumers to skip Black Friday in favor of Cyber Monday, even though many of the deals are the same. In our quest to provide you with a Cyber Monday Survival Guide, the best deal we found is a Samsung 55” 1080p Class LED Smart 3D HDTV for $1498, a $1000 savings, at walmart.com.
Cyber Monday began as a way for online retailers to compete with traditional brick and mortar stores for a piece of the holiday shopping pie. Now it’s a monster. Consumers are expected to spend $2 billion with online retailers on Monday, Nov. 26. That’s an 18% jump from last year.
As Cyber Monday grows, consumer acceptance grows as well. A survey by Qualcomm Snapdragon found that shoppers are becoming more comfortable making purchases on their mobile devices.
Some categories offer better deals on Cyber Monday than Black Friday. Dealnews.com says that apparel and accessory deals saw a 27% increase in volume from Black Friday week to Cyber Monday last year. Home and garden deals saw an almost identical jump on Cyber Monday. The site also found that the volume of camera, laptop, tablet, and smartphone deals dropped after Black Friday, while TVs saw a minor uptick.
Most retailers get an early start on Sunday, but walmart.com is starting even earlier on Saturday this year.
“A lot of Cyber Monday deals are repeats of Black Friday deals,” said Dan de Grandpre, CEO of dealnews.com.
It’s also a day known for deals from smaller brands with less of a brick and mortar presence. Brands such as Aeropostale, The Children’s Place, Ann Taylor and Armani Exchange put up big deals on Cyber Monday. There are also a lot of deals on apps for your smartphone, electronics and especially video games and Blu-ray discs.
You can also check the RetailMeNot roundup of Cyber Monday deals at http://www.retailmenot.com/deals/cybermonday. But check the deals carefully. Many of them expire before Nov. 26.
(See also: Top 10 gadget gifts)
Cyber Monday is full of surprises, but here are some things you can bank on:
1. Amazon.com
It is no surprise that Amazon knows what it’s doing when it comes to online retail. They’re not tipping their hand early, but the retailer encourages consumers to bookmark the Amazon Cyber Monday page -- to keep ahead of the deals. There is no end to the ways Amazon can help you spend money at their site, including daily email alerts, Facebook updates about deals, @amazondeals on Twitter, and the Amazon mobile app.
2. Walmart.com
Cyber Monday kicks off Cyber Week 2012, an entire week of savings at walmart.com. Customers are encouraged to sign up for emails on the latest deals.
Some of the early bargains we’ve heard of include a Samsung 55” 1080p Class LED Smart 3D HDTV for $1498, a $1000 savings, and a Samsung 40” 1080p Class LED HDTV for $598, a savings of about $400 from its original price.
3. Kohls.com
Kohl’s slogan is “expect great things.” You’ll have to take their word on that since they’re being hush-hush about their Cyber Monday deals. They’re keeping their deals under wraps until Saturday, Nov. 24. One of the discounts you can get now is a Vivitar 16.1 mega pixel digital camera that’s regularly priced at $129.99 for $49.99.
However, visitors to kohls.com can sign up for email alerts that also come with a $5 savings on your next in-store purchase. If you sign up for their mobile sale alerts they will text you a promo code to save 10% on your next online order.
4. JCpenney.com
Here’s another retailer keeping quiet about their deals. However, they let a few highlights slip – including an early start on Sunday, Nov. 25.
You can shop their Cyber Monday deals on Sunday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Nov. 26. You can also sign up for texts and emails to hear about their events, new brands and deals. Also, from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, Nov. 26 the retailer is offering free shipping with no minimum and no code required.
5. Officemax.com
Expect low prices on the latest laptops and smart deals on cameras and other electronics at officemax.com. The office supply store carries a lot more than stationary and paper clips. With a focus on electronics, look for Office Max to have deals on video games, home theater equipment and, of course, printers and computers.
They also encourage consumers to sign up for email alerts.
6. Target.com
The folks at Target are also keeping much of their Cyber Monday deals a secret, but they are in the midst of a “Beat the Rush” sale. This includes a buy 2 get 1 50% off deal on Wii U games.
Act fast because many of these deals could expire by the time you’re reading this sentence. For Cyber Monday, the retailer encourages consumers to sign up for their full-blown deal alerts.
7. Macys.com
The fabled retailer will kick off their Cyber Monday deals on Sunday, Nov. 25. Consumers can look forward to free shipping with a minimum $99 purchase. Macy’s says they’ll offer savings on apparel, accessories, beauty, jewelry and home goods. They’re also promising big bargains on women’s tops like shirts and knits, along with cozy coats from their outerwear collection.
Men will find polished and professional pieces such as dress shirts, pants and ties, along with more casual clothing. Winter-ready shoes for the whole family with the latest styles of cold-weather footwear are also on sale.
8. Overstock.com
Visit Overstock.com and you’ll find a clock ticking away to count the minutes before their Cyber Monday offerings. Like other sites, they’re keeping quiet until then.
However, they do list some promotions you can avail yourself of right now. Such as an extra 10% off all Worldstock, extra 20% off select clothing, shoes and accessories, and an extra 10% off select jewelry and watches.
9. Landsend.com
The fashionable outfitter is boasting big deals from Nov. 21 through Cyber Monday, Nov. 26. One of their more attractive offers is 30% off sitewide and free shipping.
Use Promo Code WONDERLAND and PIN 2126 for these deals. Expect landsend.com to feature good deals on winter outerwear, fleece items and winter boots.
