What are Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Boxing Day and Cyber Monday sales

Holiday shopping season is here! Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day are great opportunities for people across the world to pick up heavily discounted gaming gear and video games. Here's in detail what the three terms exactly mean and which sale offers better deals?

Black Friday

Black Friday is a colloquial term for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States (US). It has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the US. This year, it is on November 24.

Where did the "Black Friday" come from? According to Britannica, back in early 1960s, police officers in Philadelphia began using the phrase “Black Friday” to describe the chaos that followed when large numbers of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping. "Within a few years, the term Black Friday had taken root in Philadelphia. City merchants attempted to put a prettier face on the day by calling it “Big Friday"," the report said.

ALSO READ: Black Friday Sale 2023: From Vijay Sales to Croma, best deals and offers from Indian retailers

On this day, retailers offer major discounts to attract customers and stimulate early holiday shopping. This is done with an aim to boost the overall sales. The day also provides an opportunity for retailers to clear out older or excess inventory by offering discounts and making room for new merchandise, NDTV reported.

Small Business Saturday

Saturday, November 25, 2023 is a "Small Business Saturday". It is a day to celebrate and support small businesses.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of small businesses’ busiest shopping season. It has been officially cosponsored by the Small Business Administration (SBA) since 2011.

"Historically, reported projected spending among US consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $17.9 billion according to the 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express," the SBA said.

Small Business Saturday, which encourages shoppers to visit local retailers, and Cyber Monday, which promotes shopping online. Giving Tuesday has also emerged to spur charitable donations. With many retailers participating, Black Friday has become a highly competitive market where stores aim to outdo each other with better deals.

Cyber Monday Sales

Cyber Monday is a shopping holiday that falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, it is on November 27. Cyber Monday earlier used to focus heavily on tech and electronics. It, however, now includes discounts on the same variety of items one find on sale for Black Friday, CBS news reported.

Boxing day sales

Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport. It is indeed celebrated a day after Christmas. It is a holiday that had originally originated as a holiday to give gifts to the underprivileged in many parts of the world. It is currently celebrated as a shopping holiday.

Boxing Day is usually celebrated on December 26 but if it falls on a Saturday, the day is moved to Monday to keep the celebrations ongoing after Christmas, Money Control reported. If December 26 is a Sunday, the Boxing Day holiday always takes place on December 28 as December 27, Monday, becomes the substitute holiday for Christmas.

ALSO READ: What is Boxing Day and how did it get its name?

The day is also marked by a bank holiday or a public holiday in several countries, with stores offering Boxing Day sales which are often compared to the United States’ Black Friday sale.

Black Friday vs. Boxing Day: Which is the better bargain?

CBS news said the deals on Black Friday -- especially those limited-time deals that happen early in the morning on Friday -- are better than the deals one will find on Cyber Monday. It said that in many cases, Cyber Monday pricing is same as the Black Friday pricing.

Meanwhile, a report quoted Colliers consultant and strategic planner, James Smerdon, who’s been consulting on retail trends for 20 years, as saying, "The deals were about the same on Black Friday as they were on Boxing Day."

"There’s slightly better deals on Boxing Day, but most people want these purchases for Christmas," so waiting for a better deal isn’t always practical, the report said.