While there are some people who prefer Black Friday deals, there are others who want the savings without leaving the comfort of their own home. Luckily, that's where Cyber Monday comes in. It may be tempting to purchase, well, everything on these big shopping days, however, there are some items you should avoid adding to your cart on Cyber Monday.
According to Offers.com, there are 4 things in particular shoppers shouldn't purchase on Cyber Monday.
1. Furniture and home decor
Here's why Offers.com thinks you should avoid furniture and home decor on Cyber MOnday:
Online home-decor and furniture stores will blast your inbox with discounts. But don’t assume deals that are just as good won’t come back around again. Stores like Wayfair and Overstock have frequent seasonal and item-specific sales (for example, rug sales) throughout the year. If you see something you need, Cyber Monday can get you a good deal. But don’t worry if you miss out. Just sign up for emails from your favorite sites and wait for the same (or even better) discounts to roll into your inbox throughout the year.
2. Toys:
Here's why Offers.com thinks you should avoid toys on Cyber Monday:
Because online retailers like Amazon are competing with traditional retailers, you’ll see some decent toy deals on Cyber Monday. But you’ll save more by waiting until closer to Christmas, says Krista Fabregas, ecommerce analyst with FitSmallBusiness.
“Most stores further discount toys throughout December, with reductions increasing as Christmas day approaches,” Fabregas says. “This is because stores don’t want to be overloaded on toys as they head into January’s sales slowdown and inventory counts.”
If you want to buy one of the year’s must-have toys, however, don’t wait. Not even for Cyber Monday.
“Don’t wait for a better deal on a must-have toy,” Fabregas says. “Buy it fast for the best price you can find since sellers aren’t overstocking like they did in years past.”
3. Laptops:
Here's why Offers.com thinks you should avoid laptops on Cyber Monday:
We got this pro-tip from Nicole Bermack, of SEO consultancy Sturm Media, which has many ecommerce clients. In her experience, laptops tend to have some of the worst cyber Monday deals, while monitors tend to have the best.
“The reason for this is that monitors typically have much higher margins than laptops and monitor manufactures are willing to take a financial hit selling at a small loss for the brand lift of having a large amount of new users,” Bermack says.
Also, she says, consumers tend to put a lot more research into their choice of laptop (since it’s such a big-ticket purchase) instead of snapping one up on the spot. “By the time the consumer makes up her or his mind, Cyber Monday will have passed,” she says.
If you put in plenty of advance research, though, and a laptop you want is on sale on Cyber Monday (with good specs), buy it. Retailers such as Dell, Lenovo and HP run big Cyber Monday sales with plenty of discounts.
4. Fitness equipment:
Here's why Offers.com thinks you should avoid fitness equipment on Cyber Monday:
Amazon and other purveyors of fitness clothing and equipment will put these items on sale during Cyber Monday. However, Bodge says, these items are likely to see further discounts in January.
Even though these 4 items may not be a worthwhile purchase on Monday (December 2), there are plenty of other exciting sales to take advantage of this year. Happy shopping!
Photo: Getty