Get ready to have your most pressing Cyber Monday questions answered, including what is it? how is it different to Black Friday? And what bargains can I pick up this year?
Black Friday itself might be over, but don’t think for a second that means the deals are done.
This year the best Black Friday savings will run until Monday the 27th of November, otherwise known as Cyber Monday, giving you one last chance to pick up that tablet, games console, or coffee machine you’ve been hankering after.
If you’ve yet to bag yourself a bargain we’d really recommend looking today, otherwise you’ll have to wait until the Boxing Day sales to find something you like. And if you’re not sure what to buy, you can spend your Cyber Monday browsing through our extensive list of Black Friday offers like the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundles or the best AirPod Black Friday deals.
But what exactly is Cyber Monday? And with Black Friday now being a month-long sales event – with deals on everything from Tonies to Ticketmaster – does Cyber Monday even really exist anymore? Or is it just an extension of the sales period?
Well, we’re here to answer all that and more. Below you’ll find a handy guide to what happens on Cyber Monday and how it differs to Black Friday. Plus, we’ve listed a few early deals you might like the look of.
Jump to:
- What is Cyber Monday?
- When is Cyber Monday 2023?
- When do Cyber Monday 2023 sales end?
- What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
- What deals are better on Black Friday?
- What deals are better on Cyber Monday?
- Which UK retailers will have sales on Cyber Monday?
- Best Black Friday and early Cyber Monday deals we’ve seen so far
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is a shopping holiday that falls the Monday after American Thanksgiving, making this year’s the 27th of November.
The day was invented in 2005 after the National Retail Federation realised that the Monday after Thanksgiving saw a huge increase in online shopping. Historically, it’s been a great opportunity to save money on tech, although now it’s more of an extension of the Black Friday sales.
When is Cyber Monday 2023?
Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Black Friday, meaning that this year, Cyber Monday will take place on Monday 27th November 2023.
When do Cyber Monday 2023 UK sales end?
Unlike Black Friday, Cyber Monday is typically a one-day event. You can expect Cyber Monday deals from retailers and brands to come to an end at midnight on Tuesday 28th November.
What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Without wanting to sound ancient – although the RadioTimes.com did just turn 100 you know! – but back in the day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were two very different events.
Before the online shopping boom, Black Friday was almost entirely in person. Every year we’d see footage of hundreds upon thousands of Americans (because Black Friday didn’t start in the UK until 2010) pressing their faces against the glass windows of shops. It was often a chance to save money on the latest toy or designer fashion item. Meanwhile, Cyber Monday has always been completely online, and was designed to focus on technology deals i.e. computers and gaming.
These days, it’s obviously a very different ball game. With technology deals and discounts lasting throughout the whole of November, Cyber Monday is now seen more as the end of Black Friday rather than its own event. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be new deals to find, in 2021 smartphones amounted to 39.7% of Cyber Monday sales in the US, and last year was great for discounts on gaming headsets like the Meta Quest 2.
What deals are better on Black Friday?
Nowadays you can find deals on pretty much everything during Black Friday, from LEGO sets to cinema tickets. But ultimately, Black Friday is still the best time to save money on kitchenware, homeware, and technology.
This year, the best deals we’ve seen have centred around gaming (£90 off the PS5 and £120 off the Xbox Series X) and kitchen appliances (£111 off the Ninja Speedi). What’s more, Black Friday has always been seen as a good time to pick up a new TV. This year, it’s been no different with Samsung TVs discounting their products by up to £1,000 and providers like Sky offering major savings on their TV and streaming packages.
What deals are better on Cyber Monday?
Seeing as Black Friday is a whole month now, it’s unlikely we’ll see too many additional discounts cropping up on Cyber Monday. But, never say never. As we’ve mentioned, Cyber Monday is traditionally a day to save money on tech, with the biggest discounts happening across smartphones, headphones and computers. So, this year we’d recommend keeping your eyes open for any laptop deals or smart devices – Amazon has already teased a 35% saving on their Echo speakers and tablets.
Which UK retailers will have sales on Cyber Monday?
Most UK retailers will simply keep their Black Friday sales running on Monday, 27th November. But there are a few shops that seem to be taking it seriously with their own sales, here’s what you can expect:
- Amazon – up to 35% off Amazon’s own TVs, tablets and smart home devices
- AO – Major savings on homeware and kitchen appliances from Shark, Ninja and Samsung
- Argos – Get 1/3 off LEGO sets and up to £50 off Apple iPhones
- Boots – Save on beauty bundles and tech like the Dyson Airwrap Multi-styler
- Bose – 45% off headphones and speakers
- Currys – Hundreds of pounds off TVs, games consoles, laptops, phones and more
- Disney Store – Save on homeware, clothes and gifts from the worlds of Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar
- John Lewis – Get 30% off Sage Kitchen appliances and up to £100 off Apple
- LEGO – Grab 20% off Christmas LEGO sets and Star Wars models
- Nintendo – Nintendo Switch OLED and Nintendo Switch Lite on sale
- PlayStation – £90 off the PS5
- Samsung – Up to £1,000 off Smart TVs and £250 off the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Sky – Last chance to get Netflix, Sky TV and Sky Stream from £19 a month
- Tesco Mobile – Save on phone contracts with Tesco Clubcard
- Very – Huge discounts on tech, toys and appliances
- Virgin Media – One day left to get three months’ free Gigi1 Fibre broadband
- Vodafone – Save £670 on phones and airtime plans
- Wowcher – Apple Watches from £89 and 83% off Microsoft Office subscription
Best Black Friday and early Cyber Monday deals we’ve seen so far
Samsung Galaxy S22 | £769 £499 (save £270 or 35%)
What’s the deal: Get £270 off the Samsung Galaxy S22, now available for £499 at Very.
Why we chose it: In our Samsung Galaxy S22 review, we got hands-on with the smartphone and awarded it four out of five stars. The stand-out feature for the RadioTimes.com team was its 8GB of RAM, which made for a smooth user experience and helped the S22 make the most of its cameras: a triple threat including a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera, which is capable of 3x optical zoom.
Buy Samsung Galaxy S22 for £769 £499 (save £270 or 35%) at Very
Find more deals in our best Samsung Black Friday offers page.
PS5 with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle | £539 £429.99 (save £109.01 or 20%)
What’s the deal: Earlier in the month, retailers were running an unbelievable bundle of a PS5 with the new game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III at just £409.99. Sadly, that deal has now gone, but you can still pick it up for £429.99 at GAME.
Why we chose it: With this bundle, you’re still getting £110 off for a console and a brand new game that reviewers are raving about.
Buy PS5 with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle for £539 £429.99 (save £109.01 or 20%) at GAME
This was a big hit in our best PS5 Black Friday deals page.
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer | £219 £139 (save £80 or 36%)
What’s the deal: Grab the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer for £80 off at Ninja. This must-have appliance is now just £139.
Why we chose it: You can do twice the cooking for almost half the price with this air fryer.
Buy Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer for £219 £139 (save £80 or 36%) at Ninja
This Air Fryer is a best buy for the Good Food Black Friday Air Fryer deals.
Get three months free Ultrafast broadband with BT
What’s the deal: BT is offering three months of free Ultrafast broadband with speeds ranging from 50Mb download speed to 900Mb download speed, alongside free postage and packaging and no upfront costs.
Why we chose it: This deal means you could be saving up to anywhere from £98.97 to £149.97 on your broadband.
Pay nothing for Ultrafast broadband until Spring 2024 with BT
More of this in our best Black Friday broadband deals.
Apple iMac 4.5K (2021) | £1,599 £1,399 (save £200 or 12%)
What’s the deal: You can save £200 on the Apple iMac at Currys. Now priced at £1,399 rather than £1,599.
Why we chose it: It’s still a very expensive buy, but £200 off any Apple device is a miracle.
Buy Apple iMac 4.5K (2021) for £1,599 £1,399 (save £200 or 12%) at Currys
Yoto Player (3rd Generation) | £99.99 £80 (save £19.99 or 20%)
What’s the deal: Get 20% off one of the biggest toys around right now, the Yoto Player. This fun speaker is now on sale for £80, down from £100.
Why we chose it: This is a great an inventive toy for kids, and it’s screen free!
Buy Yoto Player (3rd Generation) for £99.99 £80 (save £19.99 or 20%) at Yoto Play
Made For Mums has written a guide on the best Yoto Player Black Friday deals.
Apple Watch Series 8 | £529 £349 (save £180 or 34%)
What’s the deal: Get the Apple Watch Series 8 for 34% less at John Lewis.
Why we chose it: This beauty is now just £349 and it comes in black, sliver and red.
Buy Apple Watch Series 8 for £529 £349 (save £180 or 34%) at John Lewis
Samsung QE50Q60CAUXXU QLED 50-inch Smart TV | £799 £529 (save £270 or 33%)
What’s the deal:You can get £270 off this Samsung QLED Smart TV with in-built Amazon Alexa and Bixby. That takes the price from £799 to £529.
Why we chose it: If you want good picture and sound quality, you can’t really go wrong with Samsung. This QLED TV has stunning 4K graphics, Dolby Atmos sound and is massively easy to set up and use.
Buy Samsung QE50Q60CAUXXU QLED 50-inch Smart TV for £799 £529 (save £270 or 33%) at Currys
We wrote about this in our Black Friday TV deals piece. Plus, don’t forget to relax with the best Black Friday spa deals.