Cyber Monday 2023: Answering the most asked questions

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It’s similar to Black Friday except stores focus on online sales instead of in-store sales.

That said, this day does have a huge impact on the environment since it encourages overconsumption. 😓

As far as we’re concerned here at Back Market, Cyber Monday is just a regular Monday! You’ll find deals on our site at 30 - 50% off compared to new prices all year round.

Cyber Monday date this year: when is Cyber Monday 2023?

This year, Cyber Monday 2023 is happening on November 27. 📅

Cyber Monday takes place each year on the Monday after Black Friday (which takes place the day after Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November). 

This means that Cyber Monday will usually fall on the last Monday of November although it’s happened in December as well.

Origin of Cyber Monday: when did it begin?

Unlike the origins of Black Friday, the Cyber Monday origin story is quite simple: online retailers wanted attention too. 🛒

The term, “Cyber Monday” can be traced back to 2005. This was a time before every household had a computer, and the Internet obviously wasn’t as big as it is today.

The world's largest retail association (National Retail Federation) noticed a trend on the Monday after Thanksgiving, and they put out an article claiming, “‘Cyber Monday' Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year.” This was the first cited use of the term, and it marked its catapult into the limelight. 

In short: Cyber Monday basically began in 2005 as the online version of Black Friday. Today, since there are many more online retailers – and since most big retailers sell online as well – stores will usually just extend their deals from Friday to Monday.

Why is it called Cyber Monday?

This has a pretty simple answer actually: "cyber" describes something related to the Internet or computers, and Monday is the day it falls on. Hence, “Cyber Monday” – a Monday dedicated to online sales.

It was almost called Black Monday so it would sound similar to Black Friday, but the global stock market crash in 1987 was already called that. Blue Monday was also considered since hyperlinks are blue but it didn’t stick it sounded sad.

So Cyber Monday was pitched and when a huge American publication, the New York Times, used it in a report. . . well, the rest is history.

What is on sale during Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday shoppers can find all kinds of things on sale, from electronics to home appliances. Of course, given the “cyber” element, a lot of the sales do circle around tech. 💻

Is Cyber Monday worth waiting for?

Cyber Monday is the biggest online shopping day in many countries. As such, people expect big savings, and they’ll often wait to see what they can find.

However, like Black Friday, we think the deals nowadays aren’t as good as they used to be. And in fact, now that the Internet is such a big place, shoppers have other great options available year-round too.

That’s why we recommend people avoid the sales altogether and instead buy refurbished. 

At Back Market, you have access to great deals 365 days a year. The same Cyber Monday items except expertly refurbished and resold at 30 - 70% off compared to new prices. 

To limit your impact on the planet, buying refurbished goods is simply the best option. However, if you really need something new that isn’t available second hand, consider retailers focused on sustainability and environmentally friendly items.