Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Australia
Looking for some good deals for Christmas shopping? Want to treat yourself while you’re at it? Luckily, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are just around the corner. As November comes to a close, you can grab some great bargains — just in time for the festive season.
You might have seen all the crazy videos of American shoppers waiting outside stores on the day of Black Friday. While the culture may not be as intense, Australia has taken on the tradition in full stride. So read on for all the details on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Australia.
Overview:
- What is the origin of Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
- When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
- How many days do Black Friday deals last?
- What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
What is the origin of Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The history of Black Friday
Black Friday traditions date back to the 1800’s! It started with store-sponsored Thanksgiving parades followed by festive shopping. But it wasn’t popularised until the 1980s in the US as retailers noticed a surge of people shopping for the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving
The history of Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday was established in 2005 as companies noticed that Black Friday brought an increase in online sales. So naturally, seeing a massive opportunity to boost sales, the sale period spread out from Friday to Monday.
Why is it called Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The term “Black Friday” was originally coined back in the 1960s. Police officers used it to describe the chaos of attendees of a certain Philadelphia football game flocking to the stores for Christmas shopping.
However, retailers didn’t love the way that sounded. So, they changed the meaning to signify the time of year that the stores would go from “in the red” (operating at a loss) to “in the black” (becoming profitable) for the rest of the year. This meaning also made more sense for when other countries that celebrate Christmas took on the tradition.
The term “Cyber Monday” is a more recent term that denotes the online nature of the sales.
What about Black Friday in Australia?
Black Friday was still considered an American day until 2013 when other countries started to embrace the “holiday”. In Australia, November was a quiet time for a lot of stores, but a big sale like Black Friday eventually made it a lot busier. In fact, a large portion of the average Christmas budget is dedicated to Black Friday, with 62% of Australians planning to buy Christmas gifts. It is now Australia’s largest sales event.
Although Thanksgiving is not a holiday in other countries besides the US, now Black Friday and Cyber Monday are worldwide sale days. It also marks the start of the Christmas season and gets customers thinking about their Christmas shopping early.
Even so, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become so massive that it’s not just about Christmas shopping anymore. A lot of people now use these sales to shop for essentials and personal purchases.
When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Black Friday sales start the day after Thanksgiving, or on the fourth Friday of November and then Cyber Monday the week after.
In 2025, Black Friday lands on the 28th of November, followed by Cyber Monday on the 1st of December. So keep this in mind as you save up some extra cash for Christmas shopping!
How many days do Black Friday deals last?
As the sales event became more popular, retailers began starting Black Friday sales early – often a few days before Thanksgiving. Some stores will call this “Cyber Week”. However, most Black Friday sales will end on Cyber Monday at midnight.
Even with the longer sale periods, sometimes stores will put a bigger discount on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You may have to brave those very busy days, but it’s good to keep an eye out during that last week of November for the best deals.
Other stores might only have their sales on the four days but start advertising deals earlier to generate hype — and so you can plan your shop for when the day comes.
What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Deals on Black Friday versus Cyber Monday
Originally, the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday was what stock was on sale and whether it was promoted in store or online. Black Friday was more for expensive and larger products, while Cyber Monday was for smaller items.
Black Friday focuses on:
- In-store sales
- New releases:
- Smartphones
- Laptops
- Big-ticket items:
- TVs
- Speaker systems
- Fridges
- Washing machines
- Kitchen appliances
- Furniture
Cyber Monday focuses on:
- Online sales
- Online-only deals
- Spring season clearance
- Apparel:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Accessories
- Beauty
- Smaller electronics:
- Headphones
- Accessories
- Bigger deals on leftover Black Friday stock
These days, the differences between the two are less clear. With online shopping and online-only stores being much more popular in recent years, Black Friday may have similar deals both online and in person. Now that the sales are as big as they are, it’s up to the retailers how they do their deals. Either way, it’s best to make a list for your Christmas shopping so that you can make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They are the perfect opportunity to buy some thoughtful Christmas gifts for cheap.
Is it better to shop on Cyber Monday or Black Friday?
You might hear some people telling you to wait until Cyber Monday for better deals. But keep in mind that Cyber Monday tends to be when stores try to clear out stock they couldn’t sell out on Black Friday, so you might find less popular items. So if what you’re after is likely to go out of stock, opt for Black Friday sales.
Want some extra cash to do your shopping? Swoosh has you covered.
When it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday almost everything in the shops has some sort of discount. If you’re looking for some extra cash to do your shopping this year, kick off your holiday shopping spree with a Christmas Loan.
Our application form is easy to use and most of the time you can expect your money into the bank on the same day. Apply now and get ready for the shopping spree.
