What is Cyber Monday - and where can you find the best deals?

What is Cyber Monday? It's the question that everyone is asking now Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, is over.  

Everything from KitchenAid mixers to Apple Airpods are discounted in the Cyber Monday sale, with retailers like Amazon slashing major ££ off their most popular items for the second time in a week. But somewhat confusingly, they're not the same thing. In fact, debates rage every year on Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday and which one has better discounts on which items.

So if you're new to the second-biggest day of sales this year and you've missed out on the deals so far - but still want to get in on the action - this is what you need to know about Cyber Monday in 2021.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is the day where online retailers traditionally discount products and services. It takes place on the first weekday after Black Friday, which fell on November 26 this year.

While in previous years, Black Friday was an in-store sale and Cyber Monday was the online version that took place a couple of days later, this has drastically changed. Now, due to the increasing demand for online shopping, retailers have deals 0n their websites from the beginning of Black Friday week all the way through to Cyber Monday.

However, the main difference between the two is that Cyber Monday often has bigger discounts on big ticket items than Black Friday. For example, there's up to £300 to be saved on British Airways right now when you buy flights and a hotel together. It's just one of the great Cyber Monday travel deals that likely won't be around again until this time next year!

It's usually shoppers' last chance to bag a bargain before Christmas as well, since every deal has an end date within the next few days. Like right now, there's £110 off the latest Fitbit Sense - but the deal ends tomorrow.

Where to find the best deals on Cyber Monday

Looking for amazing discounts on everything from kitchen appliances to tech? Take a look at these Cyber Monday deals:

• Amazon: Save 50% on Amazon products, including the Fire Stick 4K, Echo Dot, Fire Tablets, ring cameras and more
• Apple: Take £150 off Air Mac, AirPod, iPhone and iPad at Very.co.uk
• Baby: 70% off pushchairs, prams, car seats, high chairs and more at Cosatto
• Bath and shower: 25% off Molton Brown at Amazon and 25% off at John Lewis
• Braun: £200 off male and female grooming appliances at Very.co.uk
• Christmas: 60% off artificial trees, decorations, lights and accessories
• Clothing: 80% off all clothing, shoes and accessories at ASOS, 30% off Levi's and 20% off H&M
• Coffee machines: 47% off De'Longhi, Nespresso, Lavazza and Swan machines
• Dyson vacuum cleaners: 20% off at Argos
• Fitness: 50% off Fitbits, exercise bikes, weights, apparel and more on Amazon and £550 off treadmills and exercise bikes at Sports Direct
• Flights: Up to £300 off when you by flights and a hotel together at British Airways, flights from £19.99 and up to £200 off package holidays at easyJet
• Headphones: 48% off Beats Wireless On-Ear headphones at Amazon
• Health: 50% off Oral-B toothbrushes, massage guns, grooming products and supplements
• KitchenAid: 50% off Artisan Stand Mixers, food processors, blenders and accessories at Amazon
• LEGO: 25% off Harry Potter, Disney, Marvel, Technic, City and more
• Le Creuset: 35% off Signature casserole dishes, roasting trays, stoneware and more
• Makeup and skincare: 33% off at Feelunique and 50% at LOOK FANTASTIC (+ an extra 10% with the checkout code CYBER) 
• Nintendo Switch: £55 off and get Just Dance 2022 on Amazon
• Shark vacuum cleaner: £170 off the Shark Cordless Vacuum Cleaner with Anti-Hair Wrap
• Spirits: 33% off premium gins, vodkas, whiskeys and more
• Toys: major savings on Playmobil, Barbie, Peppa Pig, Disney and more on Amazon

But as it's already Cyber Monday, these deals won't last too much longer.

When was the first Cyber Monday?

The very first Cyber Monday took place in the USA in 2005. In 2009, four years later, it arrived in the UK.

Much like the origin of Black Friday, Cyber Monday was created by a marketing team. Shop.org is a division of the National Retail Federation, the largest trade retail association in the world, and they found research which suggested that the first Monday after Thanksgiving was one of the biggest shopping days of the year for online retailers.

Interestingly, the research also revealed that a lot of the customers buying products online were doing so at work. This was because, according to The New York Times, internet connections at home were significantly slower in the early 2000s than they are now.