What are Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Everything you need to know about the year’s biggest sales including to get the best deal and avoid scams

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Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday are two of the biggest shopping days on the retail therapy calendar – and herald the start of holiday shopping worldwide.

The huge weekend of deals officially starts with Black Friday on November 24 – the Friday after the US holiday Thanksgiving – and continues until the weekend ending with Cyber ​​Monday.

Most major brands combine the two sales, while others have a different offer every day or only participate in Cyber ​​Monday online and not in store.

Australians spent $7 billion on Black Friday sales in 2022 – and that figure is likely to rise again in 2023.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is now considered one of the best sales dates of the year, with 36 percent of Australians holding back their spending on the deals on offer, Choice reports.

But the leading consumer organization says it is important to ‘shop smart’ and compare prices from different brands.

“The first place you look may offer a 10% discount, but chances are it could be reduced by 20% elsewhere,” said Mark Serrels, editor-in-chief of CHOICE.

He added that you can also “ask for a discount” even if the item is already on sale.

“You’ll usually find that you can save some of the purchase price, especially on large items like mattresses and white goods,” he said.

Shoppers should also make sure they buy from Australian websites – many brands are global, so if they accidentally buy from an international site it could be a bargain.

What is Cyber ​​Monday?

Major retailers usually keep sales going, but the latest bargains are only available online.

The event was created so that online retailers could take advantage of the Black Friday fever that comes with the massive sales.

How to avoid scams

The ACCC has issued urgent warnings about scams over the sales weekend, highlighting the increasing impersonation of high-profile Australian retailers online.

The National Anti-Scam Center has discovered a worrying increase in reports of fake websites resembling genuine online stores of many major brands, the watchdog said.

This year there have been 2,760 reports of fake online stores with Australians losing more than $6 million to the sophisticated scam.

“Scammers are opportunistic criminals who will try to take advantage of people doing their Christmas shopping online during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday period,” said ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe.

“We have seen an alarming increase in reports of scams via fake online shopping websites, which use the latest technology to resemble genuine, well-known Australian fashion and footwear labels.”

And Choice agrees, but says people can protect themselves.

“Be aware of unusual URLs, large discounts, missing information, or poor formatting and spelling, which may indicate the website is not legitimate,” Serrels said.