The United States celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year. On the Monday following the event, Cyber Monday is a large-scale sale.
Many compare Cyber Monday to Black Friday, which is held the day after Thanksgiving, but some people might not be entirely certain about the distinction or how big the discounts are.
This article explains its origins, duration, and differences from Black Friday. We also discuss Cyber Monday’s position in Japan and the key to its success in sales.
What’s in this article?
- What is Cyber Monday?
- When is Cyber Monday?
- What is the difference between Cyber Monday and Black Friday?
- What is Cyber Monday’s significance in Japan?
- What are the advantages of Cyber Monday for ecommerce proprietors?
- What are the keys to a successful Cyber Monday?
- What are some ecommerce sites that run Cyber Monday sales?
- What else is there to know about Cyber Monday?
- How can you make the most of Cyber Monday?
What is Cyber Monday?
The word “cyber” in Cyber Monday refers to “computers” and the online environment. Originally, it described a large sale for online shopping held on the Monday following Thanksgiving.
However, in recent years, physical stores have also begun holding Cyber Monday promotions, which is becoming less of an online-exclusive event.
Origin of Cyber Monday
The National Retail Federation (NRF) invented Cyber Monday in 2005. At the time, the NRF noted that consumers tended to shop on the internet after Thanksgiving. There are various reasons people shifted to online shopping.
One explanation is that it started with people looking at products in stores and malls over the weekend after Thanksgiving, then waiting to purchase them at work on Monday, where they had high-speed internet access.
Some theories suggest the term emerged from the negative aspects of queuing in the cold and dark right after a family holiday, and then battling crowds for bargain items. Even imagining the hassle is stressful, and many who have experienced it likely never want to go through it again.
Cyber Monday got off to a strong start by successfully tapping into consumer psychology and behavior. Since then, web access has improved greatly, making it possible to purchase from the comfort of your home. Demand for Cyber Monday has also continued to grow.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday typically falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November).
In recent years, some stores have begun referring to promotions around that Monday as “Cyber Monday sales,” with extended durations (often around a week) known as “Cyber Week sales.”
What is the difference between Cyber Monday and Black Friday?
Black Friday’s history dates back to the 1940s, whereas Cyber Monday is a relatively new name for a sale that began after internet shopping became popular.
Initially, there was a clear distinction: Black Friday was a traditional in-store sale on the Friday following Thanksgiving, while Cyber Monday was an online-only event on the Monday after.
Nevertheless, there is a trend for Black Friday to occur earlier, and many stores continue their Cyber Monday deals not just on Monday but for several days or even a week afterward. Black Friday sales are also held online, and there is no apparent difference between the two.
What is Cyber Monday’s significance in Japan?
It was Cyber Monday, not Black Friday, that the Japanese market first adopted. Amazon Japan was the first to initiate this. Noticing that most visitors flock to the site in the second week of December when many receive bonuses, the Japan Anniversary Association registered the second Monday of December as Cyber Monday in 2012. After that, they held these sales each year.
Still, Black Friday has spread rapidly in Japan since around 2016, becoming more well-known than Cyber Monday. For this reason, Amazon Japan renamed the event “Black Friday & Cyber Monday“ in 2020 and simply “Black Friday” from 2021 onward.
As a result, most people in Japan no longer use the term Cyber Monday, and many retailers now hold promotions for about two weeks from the 5th as Black Friday sales.
What are the advantages of Cyber Monday for ecommerce proprietors?
Even without using Cyber Monday, it still makes sense to hold the sale simultaneously, merging it into Black Friday or under a different name.
More profit
Incorporating Cyber Monday and Black Friday allows you to extend the promotion period and make more profit.
Sales can be adjusted
Holding a Cyber Monday sale immediately after Black Friday enables you to adjust pricing and introduce new campaigns while monitoring product performance.
Maintaining competitiveness
By transitioning from Black Friday to Cyber Monday and launching unique promotions, you can maintain and improve your company’s competitiveness.
What are the keys to a successful Cyber Monday?
So, what factors should you consider when running a Cyber Monday event? Here are some tips to get you off to a good start:
Offer limited-time promotions
Preparing a Cyber Monday campaign different from Black Friday can appeal to those who have already shopped on Black Friday. Limited deals—whether time-limited or limited-quantity—are especially effective in sparking consumer urgency.
Create a dedicated campaign page
If you run an ecommerce site that lists many products, customers might spend too long searching for what they want, leading them to exit without making a purchase. By building a special Cyber Monday page, you can lower the cart abandonment rate and simplify product discovery.
Use retargeting ads
Many consumers will have browsed several ecommerce sites and gathered information about sales during Black Friday. If they didn’t buy, perhaps it wasn’t discounted enough or something else got in the way. Retargeting consumers expected to convert with a slight nudge—such as added benefits—could lead to purchases.
Use social media
Before Cyber Monday begins, use social channels to alert prospective buyers about your offers and boost their desire to purchase.
Prevent the loss of purchase opportunities
If the method of pay the shopper wants to use is unavailable, they will likely leave the site. To mitigate cart abandonment, offer diverse payment options, including credit cards, electronic money, QR code transactions, and bank transfers.
Stripe serves as a robust payment service with an established reputation as a global financial platform, also providing solutions tailored to Japan’s business customs. Besides credit card transactions, Stripe supports convenience store payments, bank transfers, PayPay, and more.
In addition, you can use Stripe Connect to build a highly profitable payment business, such as a platform, marketplace, or two-sided business, and easily expand its scale.
What are some ecommerce sites that run Cyber Monday sales?
In Japan, more shoppers recognize Black Friday than Cyber Monday, and increasingly ecommerce platforms hold extended sales labeled as Black Friday. Others use both “Black Friday & Cyber Monday.”
Below are a few ecommerce sites that held a sale in 2024 under the Cyber Monday moniker.
LEGO
The official LEGO Shop held a Cyber Monday sale on December 2.
Ninjala
A promotion was held for the competitive Nintendo Switch ninja gum action game “Ninjala” as part of the “Cyber Monday 2024 Campaign!”
Saison Point Mall
This is a points site where you can earn by shopping online or booking travel. The “Black Friday & Cyber Monday” campaign included time-limited points promotions, point giveaways through lotteries, and other incentives.
What else is there to know about Cyber Monday?
Below, you'll find answers to some frequently asked questions about Cyber Monday sales.
What is Cyber Week?
This refers to an extended sale period surrounding Cyber Monday, typically lasting about a week. In the United States, it is increasingly overlapping with longer promo windows, so many online stores start early, calling it Cyber Monday (or Cyber Week) rather than restricting the event to a single day.
What is the discount rate for Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday discounts vary across different retailers. For example, the official LEGO Shop offered 15% to 40% discounts on selected items during the Cyber Monday sale in 2024.
When is the Thanksgiving sale?
This sale is held in conjunction with the American Thanksgiving Day holiday, which is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. In recent years, there has been a trend towards holding promotions before Thanksgiving, such as the “Early Black Friday Deals,” rather than waiting until Black Friday itself.
How can you make the most of Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is an excellent opportunity to capitalize on increased online shopping demand, just like Black Friday.
To make Cyber Monday a success, do your homework in advance, such as offering attractive discounts and benefits and developing advertising tailored to your target audience. Offering personalized products and a user-friendly experience will further boost customer satisfaction.
Take advantage of this period to increase sales and augment your company’s brand value.
The content in this article is for general information and education purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Stripe does not warrant or guarantee the accurateness, completeness, adequacy, or currency of the information in the article. You should seek the advice of a competent attorney or accountant licensed to practice in your jurisdiction for advice on your particular situation.