Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: which has better deals?

It’s one sale, not two

Cyber Monday started in the US as the online follow-up to Black Friday. In the UK today, most big retailers run their offers for days or weeks either side of both dates, and much of it online, so the two days have largely merged into one event.

The data backs that up:

• An analysis of Amazon UK’s 2023 deals by the pricing firm Engage3 found that 83.5% of its Cyber Monday deals had also been on offer on Black Friday. There were 17.7% fewer deals on the Monday, and the average discount was almost identical (24.37% on Cyber Monday, 0.07 points lower than on Black Friday).
• When Which? studied Black Friday 2024, it treated the sale as running for four weeks, 15 November to 12 December, and found that none of the deals it tracked was at its lowest price of the year on Black Friday itself.

We haven’t found independent UK research showing that either day is cheaper overall. You’ll see confident claims that one day is “best for tech” or “best for fashion”, but they usually come from retailers or brands rather than from tracked prices, so treat them with caution.

So when should you buy?

• Buy when it hits your price. Decide in advance what you’d happily pay, and buy when an item reaches it, whichever day that is. Our price checker shows whether a price is a genuine 90-day low for the retailers in our feeds.
• Don’t wait on popular items. The bestsellers (consoles, popular toys, the TV everyone wants) can sell out over the weekend. Risking that for a possible extra pound or two on Monday rarely pays.
• Check again on Monday if it wasn’t reduced. Retailers do sometimes add or change offers for Cyber Monday, so an item that wasn’t discounted on Friday is worth one more look.
• Use the 14-day safety net. Online orders usually come with a right to cancel within 14 days of delivery. If you buy on Friday and the price falls on Monday, you can ask the retailer to match it or cancel and reorder. Our guide to your Black Friday rights explains the rules.

The bigger saving is in the stack, not the day

The difference between Friday’s and Monday’s price is often nothing. What you add on top can be worth more: a voucher code, cashback through a site like TopCashback or Quidco, and paying with a discounted gift card. Cashback rates can change over the sale weekend, so check the rate on the day you buy rather than relying on what you saw the week before. The Black Friday stacking playbook has the order to do it in, and the fake-discount guide shows how to tell a real price cut from an inflated one.

How we make money: DealStacker is free. When you click through to a retailer and buy, we may earn a commission. It costs you nothing extra and never changes how we judge a price. More on how we make money.

Sources

We checked the facts in this guide against these pages on 24 October 2026. Fees and terms change, so check the company’s own site before you rely on them.

• Engage3: Amazon UK Black Friday vs Cyber Monday deals, 2023 (6 Dec 2023)
• Which?: most Black Friday deals the same price or cheaper at other times of the year (25 Nov 2025, Black Friday 2024 data)
• The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013: the cancellation period (legislation.gov.uk)

Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: FAQ

When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026 in the UK?

Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Most UK retailers run their offers for days or weeks around them rather than on the two days alone.

Is Cyber Monday cheaper than Black Friday?

Not reliably. We haven't found independent UK research showing either day is cheaper overall. An analysis of Amazon UK's 2023 deals found 83.5% of its Cyber Monday deals had also been on offer on Black Friday, with almost the same average discount. For most products, the two days are part of one sale.

Should I wait for Cyber Monday if something isn't discounted on Black Friday?

It can be worth checking again on the Monday, since retailers sometimes add new offers. But popular items can sell out over the weekend, so if a product is already at a price you're happy with, waiting is a gamble. Buying online gives you a 14-day right to cancel, which is a safety net if the price drops further.

Is the best price of the year on Black Friday?

Usually not. Which? found that none of the Black Friday 2024 deals it tracked were at their cheapest price of the year on Black Friday itself, and 83% were the same price or cheaper at some point outside the four-week sale period.