Waiting for Cyber Monday to Shop Online? Analysts Say There's Actually a Better Day for Deals

Those who don't want to battle the Black Friday crowds, choosing instead to shop online Monday, might want to rethink the sales Cyber Monday is said to offer them.

According to the Adobe Digital Index Report issued earlier this month, neither Cyber Monday nor Black Friday are the best days to catch a deal on a holiday gift. Instead, Tyler White, an analyst for the ADI report, told CMO.com Thanksgiving Day and the Monday before Thanksgiving, which has already come and gone at this point, will offer better sales.

An employee pushes a cart past bays of merchandise as she processes customer orders at one of Amazon.com Inc.'s fulfillment centers in Peterborough, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014. Online spending will account for about 13 percent of December sales, up from 12 percent a year earlier, according to forecasters at Deloitte LLP. (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“In the United States, especially, consumers have been conditioned to wait for Black Friday deals before they start holiday shopping,” White told CMO. “This holiday shopping season will be just one day longer than last year, the shortest shopping season since 2002. Retailers will concentrate on lengthening the season, beginning it on the Monday before Thanksgiving by offering deals then.”

Online prices on Thanksgiving are expected to be about 24 percent cheaper compared with 23 percent on Black Friday and 20 percent on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe, which tracks data on 4,500 retail websites.

The data is the latest proof that retailers are slowly redefining the Black Friday tradition. It's been the biggest shopping day of the year for decades, mostly because it's traditionally when retailers pull out their best sales events. But in the last few years, retailers like the Gap, Target and Toys R Us have started opening their stores and offering holiday discounts on Thanksgiving to better compete with online rivals.

Melissa Mayhue (L) and Nick Vigil check out the use two what needs to be stocked November 24, 2014 at the Glendale Target. The Glendale Target store gives a behind-the-scenes look at Black Friday preparations.(John Leyba/Denver Post via Getty Images)

"I was surprised, but it really shifted one day," said Tamara Gaffney, principal analyst at Adobe.

The Huffington Post also pointed out that some people might be more keen about shopping online Thanksgiving Day due to the likelihood of an item still being available without backorder and the shorter time period for shipping before Christmas.

This shift hasn't come without its critiques and controversy from those who wish to keep the holiday itself focused on family rather than consumerism.

—

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Front page image via Shutterstock.