Pulp

Cyber Monday: All the excitement of Black Friday without the hassle

/ The Daily Orange

After the term Cyber Monday made its debut on the public stage in 2005, it was only a matter of time before the domain name was taken and an entire website was dedicated to this day of fiscal celebration.

Cybermonday.com is almost like the Google of online shopping — it takes the best deals from all different online retailers across the world and compiles them in one location.

While the holiday is by far the website’s coup de grace, the site operates year round, aiming to highlight holiday-quality deals every day of the year. This year, the website’s featured merchants include Wal-Mart, RadioShack and Overstock.com. The site has a “holiday” tab for customers looking to browse all of the best sales available for the most wonderful time of the year.

 



For most college students, Amazon has become nearly synonymous with spur-of-the-moment online shopping, and the site captures the spirit of the day by unleashing a flurry of sales for Cyber Monday. There’s an even sweeter deal for thrifty students who want to save on sometimes-exhaustive shipping costs: Though not particular to Cyber Monday, college students can register on Amazon Student for free Amazon Prime shipping benefits for six months, release-date delivery on video games, DVDs and books and free two-day shipping on certain items.

If you’re scoping out deals on Amazon, though, time is of the essence. The site released its deals on Sunday morning after announcing the details of the sales on Black Friday and, like stores on Black Friday, only carries so much in stock. The online shopping mogul specializes in electronics sales, so technology buffs are likely to find great prices on TVs, video games and cameras. Amazon also took part in Black Friday, releasing some of its better deals over the weekend.

 

Target got an early jump on Cyber Monday deals, posting them on Sunday, a day earlier than most retailers. The chain is also pushing “Cyber Week,” branching into seven days of deals. Like most stores on Cyber Monday, most of Target’s biggest sales are online-only exclusives, and Cyber Week stretches until Saturday, Dec. 1.

Target is also incentivizing e-shoppers with the promise of free shipping for $50 worth of purchases on eligible items. Target’s sales include music, movies, video games and more. Knocking out most of the names on your Christmas shopping list has never been easier. Need more incentive? The retailer is throwing in gift cards with certain sales.

The only thing better than spending money is getting it back.

 

The clock is ticking for shoppers to get their Cyber Monday shopping in — or at least that’s what the Macy’s website would have people believe. Time is a prevalent theme when navigating through Macys.com. The website is pushing watch sales prominently on its homepage while also littering the design with “Cyber Monday” references.

While the watches are the main focus of the sale, the site boasts just shy of 1,000 different sale items for shoppers to browse through, including brands such as Fossil, Juicy Couture and Citizen.

Since Cyber Monday is all about allowing people to grab great deals from the comfort of their own homes or dorm rooms, Macy’s is also pushing free shipping. To keep promoting bigger sales, this deal is available only to online shoppers who reach the price floor of $75. It is the ultimate opportunity for the frugal shopper who wants all of the deals without having to leave the couch.

—Compiled by Erik van Rheenen and Chelsea DeBaise, asst. feature editors, [email protected], [email protected]

 





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