When is Cyber Monday 2021? This year’s dates, plus what to expect

Discounts are expected on a variety of tech gear, including smartphones, TVs, smart speakers, laptops, fitness trackers and so much more.

By Jason Murdock

Published: Wednesday, 11 August 2021 at 12:00 am

Cyber Monday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, an online-focused extension of Black Friday that’s the perfect time to scoop up deals, discounts and offers on tech from a variety of retailers ahead of Christmas.

And much like the slashes during Black Friday 2021, you can expect price drops on all types of gear, including many of the best smartphones of the year, some of the best tablets on the market – and likely we’ll see Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals, too.

We are just as excited to find out the biggest Cyber Monday deals in 2021 – and the RadioTimes.com team will be bringing you the latest offers as they are announced by retailers such as Amazon, Currys/PC World, John Lewis, Argos and Very.

It may still be a long way off, but it’s good to be prepared – and we have made this Cyber Monday guide so you can stay fully informed about the event, find out what products we expect to see discounted and how to get the best deals. Make sure to bookmark this page, as it will be updated as we learn more about the price cuts.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is one of the key dates in the retail calendar ahead of Christmas and a great chance to pick up bargains on high-value tech products, including phones, laptops, fitness trackers, smart speakers, TVs, home appliances and more. It falls four days after the US Thanksgiving holiday – the Monday after Black Friday.

While the event may have first gained traction in the US, it’s now international in scope – and while the focus is still more on e-commerce than in-store discounts, many Black Friday offers will simply run into Cyber Monday these days. With retail still somewhat disrupted by the pandemic, we expect a large amount of activity this year.

When is Cyber Monday 2021?

While the date changes every year – because it is still based around the timing of Thanksgiving (which lands on the fourth Thursday in November) – Cyber Monday follows Black Friday, so that means it falls on Monday 29th November this year. It is difficult to say exactly when it starts and ends, however, as retailers have a habit of using Black Friday/Cyber Monday branding in the weeks prior to the event and even during the days after it. In any case, get it marked on your calendar now.

Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: What’s the difference?

The origins of Black Friday – which falls on Friday 26th November this year – are surprisingly complex, with one explanation being that the name was first inspired by bookkeepers who traditionally recorded profits in black ink – compared to red ink for any losses. The name alludes to retailers aiming to boost profits in order to put themselves “in the black” ahead of the year’s end, as noted by Investopedia.

These days, Black Friday has evolved into a vast, often frenzied, sales weekend. In pre-COVID times, the price cuts were generally in-store and used to entice people into the businesses. We suspect that may be slightly different in 2021.

In comparison, Cyber Monday was created in the mid-2000s by a US trade body as a way to boost online sales – with many deals exclusive to retailers’ websites. But things have changed a lot since 2005, and internet shopping is now commonplace, so the lines have totally blurred between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Many of the deals will start over the weekend and then continue into the Monday, with the store’s branding simply being updated to reflect the new sale – although some may be held for Cyber Monday. Due to the pandemic, it’s likely we will see increased online shopping this year – although many UK COVID restrictions are loosening.