This year, Black Friday is out. For my family at least. We’re still going Christmas shopping, we’re just trading the overly crowded stores, the cumbersome shopping carts, and the relentless crowd for something a little less stressful.
I’m talking, of course, about Cyber Monday. You can scope out sales in your pajamas without feeling ridiculous. There are no lines, no rude shoppers and it’s easy to compare prices with other retailers. Black Friday wishes it could be as laid back as Cyber Monday.
And it’s not just me that’s skipping out on Black Friday. According to Nielson, “85 percent of consumers plan on skipping the stores on Black Friday this year. Instead, nearly half of consumers (46%) state that they will shop online this Cyber Monday.” That’s a 16-point jump from last year, when 30% said they’d take part in Cyber Monday, according to the study.
So, it’s settled. We’re all going to do our Christmas shopping from the couch – with plenty of snacks – rather than wrestling over the last Xbox One with a tiny (but surprisingly strong) lady at Walmart. Just say no to Black Friday violence.
Speaking of the Xbox One, it and a ton of this year’s hot gadgets are bound to be available at incredible prices this Cyber Monday. Check out a few gift-worthy gadgets you should be on the lookout for this Cyber Monday:
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The Pebble watch
This product was initially funded by a Kickstarter and is currently on sale on Amazon for $249.99 – and might experience price cuts around Cyber Monday. Using Bluetooth technology, this smartwatch connects to both iPhone and Android smartphones.
Your Pebble can alert you with a silent vibration whenever you have an incoming call, a new email, or text. Add apps to turn your watch into your own wonderfully nerdy command center. Available apps include “a stopwatch, GPS, mp3 player and computer, to use while you’re on the go.”
The Fujifilm X100S
The digital camera, despite being one seriously awesome gadget, continues to see a ton of competition from today’s smartphones. Convenience usually wins out in the consumer’s mind, since smartphone makers can provide an almost-as-awesome digital camera built right into their phones.
Still, it’s worth it to check out Cyber Monday deals on the Fujifilm X100S. This camera evokes the look and feel of retro cameras but adds the latest digital camera technology. With this model, you can expect improved autofocus, a new processor, and a new “‘Lens Modulation Optimiser’ function.”
The iPad Air
This device went on sale this month on November 1, so you should expect some discounts on Cyber Monday. This ultra-thin tablet is powered by Apple’s A7 processor “with 64-bit architecture and M7 co-processor, which are the same chipsets that power the iPhone 5S.”
With a brilliant 9.7 inch display, you’ll get an amazing picture and video quality for games, movies, and other tasks. The built-in camera allows for Face Timing friends and family over the holidays in brilliant HD. With the iSight camera, capture 5-megapixel photos and 1080p HD videos with 3x zoom.
Some Cyber Monday Tips
Just like your aunt is a Black Friday expert, there are tips and tricks to the Cyber Monday trade, as well. You don’t have to get anywhere super early, but it might benefit you to get online early so you don’t miss deals.
There is such a thing as the cyber crowd, and it will be simply gargantuan on Cyber Monday. You may experience overloaded servers and even sold out items throughout the day. Or Internet lag during peak usage hours, especially if you have a ton of neighbors.
Beat this by shopping during off-hours or equip yourself now with mega-fast fiber Internet from Verizon or Google. It might be a long shot since availability is so sporadic in the US, but Internet speeds topping out at 500 Mbps to 1 gigabit per second are a Cyber Monday shopper’s salvation.
To speed things up, even more, set up a PayPal account beforehand to cut down on checkout time. And, as always, do your research on the products you want/need to buy before you click checkout. Keep your list handy that Monday.
Happy shopping!
David Preston is a husband, father of 2, and an avid gamer. When he’s not chasing kids around the house for his controllers, he free-lances in the gaming and entertainment space.