Here's everything you need to know about Cyber Monday 2019

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Here's everything you need to know about Cyber Monday 2019

Cyber Monday

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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  • Cyber Monday began as the online version of Black Friday, where online retailers offered big discounts to match their brick-and-mortar counterparts.
  • Today, Cyber Monday is the biggest shopping day of the year, surpassing even Black Friday in terms of revenue and sales.
  • Cyber Monday 2019 falls on December 2. Here's everything you need to know.
  • To potentially save more on Cyber Monday deals this year, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date coupons and promo codes.

The biggest shopping day of the year is just over a month away. No, it's not Black Friday. It's actually Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving.

The holiday was created in 2005 as the online version of the brick and mortar-focused Black Friday. But in the past few years, the event has taken on a life of its own, generating $7.9 billion in sales last year to Black Friday's $6.2 billion. You can expect your favorite online stores, from Amazon to Target and Best Buy, to offer deals.

What is Cyber Monday, and where can you find discounts? We've answered your questions below.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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What is Cyber Monday?

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving. Last year it was November 26; this year it's December 2.

Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day in the US. Every major online store usually offers discounts and bundles on all kinds of products. We'll be hunting down all the best Cyber Monday deals, so be sure to stay tuned to Insider Picks.

You can also follow your favorite retailers on social media or subscribe to their newsletters, so you'll know about all the best deals.

What time does Cyber Monday start?

What time does Cyber Monday start?

Cyber Monday deals will run around the clock, starting at 12 a.m. EST on December 2, 2019.

However, many stores will also offer discounts in the days leading up to Cyber Monday. Last year, for example, Amazon's official Cyber Monday frenzy began the Sunday before at 8 p.m. EST, but the site ran deals throughout the preceding weekend as well.

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What is the point of Cyber Monday?

What is the point of Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday was created to encourage folks to buy their Christmas presents online, as the Monday after Thanksgiving became an increasingly popular shopping day. Over the past decade, Cyber Monday has become the biggest online shopping day in the US, raking in billions for retailers each year.

For you, it's an excellent day to get a jump on your Christmas shopping, or buy things for yourself, especially if you're looking for bargains. In particular, it's a great day to buy tech gadgets and older generations of big-ticket tech items.

What sites do Cyber Monday?

What sites do Cyber Monday?

If you can name any website that sells things, it's probably offering Cyber Monday deals.

Janet Alveraz, executive editor of the personal-finance publication Wise Bread, believes Amazon is one of the best places to shop, especially compared to Black Friday. "Amazon shopping, in general, tends to be better on Cyber Monday," Alveraz said. "But remember, that only holds true if you're an Amazon Prime member."

While it may be tempting to search only for new products, eBay is also an excellent place to shop on Cyber Monday. "You'll find a lot of people reselling items they just purchased on Black Friday," Alveraz told Business Insider.

Participants in Cyber Monday include:

To keep track of your favorite stores' best deals, subscribe to their online newsletters and follow their social media.

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Are Cyber Monday deals the same as Black Friday?

Are Cyber Monday deals the same as Black Friday?

Most major stores will offer both Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. However, they won't necessarily be the same deals. Last year, Cyber Monday had slightly better deals overall; shoppers saw an average of 2.5% greater savings.

Generally, Black Friday is a better day to shop for expensive, big-ticket items, while Cyber Monday is preferable for gadgets, gifts, and older-generation tech.

Make sure you plan out your purchases in advance and look through Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads to figure out when (and where) each product you're looking for will see the lowest price.

Is Amazon doing Cyber Monday?

Is Amazon doing Cyber Monday?

Amazon participates in Cyber Monday; last year's Cyber Monday was its biggest shopping day in history.

The site usually offers deals not only on Cyber Monday but throughout the days before and after. Last year, Amazon's Cyber Monday deals began the Sunday before. The retailer dubbed the subsequent week Cyber Monday Deals Week and continued to provide discounts each day.

Many of Amazon's Cyber Monday Deals are "Lightning Deals," which offer a limited number of items at a big discount. You can check the status bar on the left side of a product's page to see how close it is to being fully claimed. Prepare to act fast on these; the most popular ones can sell out in seconds. If a lightning deal has run out, you can join its waitlist to receive a notification if the discount pops up again.

Note: Many Amazon deals are only available to Prime members.

To get a feel for what might be on sale, peruse our favorite Amazon deals from last year's Cyber Monday.

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Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Does Apple do Cyber Monday?

Apple rarely discounts its own devices for Black Friday. However, some third-party stores provide "discounts" on iPhones, Macbooks, and the like in the form of gift-card bundles or trade-in credit. You can also check eBay, Amazon Marketplace, or other resellers for refurbished versions of Apple devices, which can sell for hundreds of dollars below MSRP.

Take a look at our Apple Cyber Monday Deals hub to see the best Apple deals from last year's Cyber Monday.

Check out all our Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage

Check out all our Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage

The Insider Picks team will be reporting the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in real-time from big-box retailers — like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and Nordstrom — and direct-to-consumer startups like Casper, Leesa, and Brooklinen.

To potentially save more on deals this holiday season, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date coupons and promo codes.

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