When Is Cyber Monday 2025? Dates, Deals & Black Friday Comparison

If you’ve been eyeing a new laptop or smart TV, chances are you’ve circled Cyber Monday on your calendar. But pinning down the exact date—and understanding how it stacks up against Black Friday—takes a bit more than a quick Google search. This guide walks you through the 2025 dates, spending patterns, and whether those “up to 70% off” signs are actually worth your time.

Origin Year: 2005 ·
Typical Date: Monday after Thanksgiving ·
Catch: 67% of Irish adults think these sales are overrated ·
2025 Spend: €422 million expected

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday: What’s the Difference?

Three numbers tell the story: Black Friday drew 62% of Irish shoppers planning to buy something over the sales weekend, yet 67% of adults in Ireland consider these events overrated, according to iReach Insights (research firm with 1,000 nationally representative responses). The gap between enthusiasm and skepticism has never been wider.

Key date differences

Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving — always the fourth Thursday of November. In 2025, that’s Friday, November 28. Cyber Monday lands exactly three days later, on Monday, December 1. This timing wasn’t accidental: retailers discovered that by Monday, shoppers who’d hit physical stores on Friday were back at work computers, ready to buy online. The National Retail Federation (trade association tracking retail trends) formalized the term in 2005 when online sales spiked the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Shopping format contrasts

Black Friday in Ireland has firmly split loyalties. PwC Ireland’s survey (consulting firm with European spending benchmarks) found that 62% of Irish respondents planned to purchase during the sales weekend — but the mix of in-store and online varies by category. Big-box retailers like Harvey Norman started early deals from October 30, 2025, blurring the traditional Black Friday start line. Cyber Monday, by contrast, leans almost entirely digital. Switcher.ie (price comparison platform covering Irish consumer finance) notes that Cyber Monday “focuses on online electronics and subscriptions” — tech deals, streaming service discounts, and apparel that ships directly to your door.

Deal types compared

The product mix matters as much as the price. Black Friday traditionally offers steeper discounts on big-ticket in-store items — TVs, appliances, furniture — where retailers can clear warehouse stock before year-end. Cyber Monday rewards the browser: smaller electronics, software subscriptions, and fashion where online-exclusive inventory lets retailers undercut their Friday prices. The Irish Times reported post-2025 Cyber Monday deals including coffee machines, fitness watches, and flights — products that suit direct delivery.

The implication: if you’re hunting a television or kitchen appliance, Black Friday still wins on breadth. If you want a new noise-canceling headset or annual streaming subscription, Cyber Monday’s online focus often delivers better value.

Is Cyber Monday the day after Black Friday?

In the US calendar, yes — by design. The name itself is a direct reference to the timing: the Monday immediately following Black Friday, when online sales traditionally surged as workers returned to their desks. Wikipedia (encyclopedic source tracking commercial history) confirms that Cyber Monday dates fall between November 26 and December 2 annually, always landing on the Monday after Thanksgiving Thursday.

Exact timing in US calendar

US Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Black Friday is the next day. Cyber Monday is three calendar days after that — always a Monday, always between November 26 and December 2. For 2025, the math works out cleanly: Thanksgiving = November 27, Black Friday = November 28, Cyber Monday = December 1.

Relation to Thanksgiving

The holiday anchors the entire sequence. In Ireland, the connection to US Thanksgiving might seem arbitrary — but Irish retailers have adopted the same calendar structure. PwC Ireland (advisory firm with Irish consumer research) notes that the sales weekend “continues to be important” for Irish retailers, even though the underlying Thanksgiving rationale doesn’t apply domestically. The timing has simply become an international retail convention.

International date adjustments

Ireland follows the US dates precisely. Black Friday 2025 is November 28; Cyber Monday 2025 is December 1. Switcher.ie confirms that “Black Friday marks the start of festive shopping season in Ireland, UK, and US on the same date.” No offset, no adjustment — the transatlantic retail synchronization is deliberate and complete.

What this means: if you’re shopping from Ireland and planning around these dates, you don’t need to guess. November 28 is Black Friday. December 1 is Cyber Monday. The rest of the world is working from the same calendar.

Is Black Friday better or Cyber Monday?

The honest answer depends entirely on what you’re buying. Average planned spend for Black Friday weekend in Ireland is €283 per person, down 14% from €329 in 2024, according to PwC Ireland (consulting firm tracking European retail benchmarks). That decline suggests consumers are becoming more selective — and more skeptical — about where they actually get value.

Overall sales volume

Black Friday still dominates in raw spending. It’s the broader event, drawing more categories and more retailers. Cyber Monday is a subset — online, tech-heavy, subscription-oriented. But volume doesn’t equal value. The iReach Insights survey found that 56% of Irish adults believe January sales offer better deals than Black Friday — a direct challenge to the marketing hype surrounding both events.

Best categories for each

Black Friday advantages: large appliances, TVs, furniture, toys, in-store exclusive doorbusters. Cyber Monday strengths: headphones, laptops, smart home devices, streaming subscriptions, fashion online. Switcher.ie (consumer finance platform) frames it simply: “Black Friday offers biggest discounts on tech, toys, fashion; Cyber Monday focuses on online electronics and subscriptions.”

Shopper preferences

Irish shoppers show a stubborn preference for the in-store experience. PwC Ireland found that despite the digital shift, “continued importance of in-store shopping alongside online” persists in Ireland. That’s partly cultural (we like to see what we’re buying) and partly practical (delivery times over the holiday period can be unreliable). Cyber Monday’s online-only nature may appeal to deal hunters who missed Black Friday — but it’s not a universal winner.

The trade-off: Black Friday gives you more retail formats (in-store and online) and more product categories. Cyber Monday gives you cleaner online-only deals but narrower product focus. Neither is objectively better — but for tech buyers specifically, Cyber Monday often delivers stronger online electronics discounts.

How much cheaper are things on Cyber Monday?

The marketing claims are loud; the data is quieter. Discount percentages vary so widely by retailer and product that broad averages are almost meaningless. What we do know: average spend per person on Black Friday/Cyber Monday combined in Ireland is €170, down from €190 in 2024, according to iReach Insights (research firm with nationally representative data). That 10.5% drop in per-person spending suggests either better price comparison or growing skepticism about deal quality.

Average discount data

Historical patterns suggest Cyber Monday tech deals typically range 20-40% off retail price — but that’s a wide band. The actual discount depends on inventory management, competitor pricing, and whether a retailer is clearing old stock. High-demand items (latest iPhone, newest gaming console) rarely see deep discounts — demand is too high. Last-generation models, however, often see steeper cuts.

2024 trends

Post-event data from 2024 showed that electronics comprised the largest share of Cyber Monday purchases, with headphones, smartwatches, and laptop accessories driving volume. The Irish Times (national newspaper covering consumer spending) reported that 2025 Cyber Monday deals centered on discretionary items like coffee machines and fitness trackers — products where retailers have more pricing flexibility.

Category-specific savings

The pattern is consistent: older tech gets deeper discounts. If you’re buying the current flagship product, expect 10-20% off at best. If you’re willing to buy last year’s model, 30-50% is achievable on Cyber Monday. Switcher.ie notes that Cyber Monday “focuses on online electronics” — which means retailers are working through online-specific inventory that may include discontinued or clearance models.

The pattern: don’t expect the percentage claim in the ad to apply to the specific product you want. Check price history before buying — many retailers inflate the “original” price for weeks before the sale to make the discount look larger than it is.

Does Ireland do Cyber Monday?

Yes — Ireland not only participates, but ranks among Europe’s highest spenders on Black Friday weekend. Average planned spend here is €283, compared to an EU average of €268, according to PwC Ireland (advisory firm with European retail benchmarking). Yet 67% of Irish adults think the sales are overrated, per iReach Insights (research firm with nationally representative survey data). It’s a paradox: we’re spending more than most Europeans while believing the deals aren’t worth it.

Adoption in Europe

Cyber Monday originated as a US phenomenon but spread internationally as e-commerce grew. Ireland adopted the convention alongside the UK and much of Western Europe. The dates align precisely with US timing: Black Friday is November 28, 2025; Cyber Monday is December 1. Switcher.ie confirms that Ireland “marks the start of festive shopping season” on the same date as the US and UK.

Local retailer participation

Most major Irish retailers participate, though not all commit fully. Harvey Norman started early Black Friday deals from October 30, 2025, while Next has not participated since 2020, according to SaleSavvy.ie (Irish deal-tracking publication). Amazon is expected to begin roughly 12 days of deals around November 20, per Joe.ie (Irish news outlet covering retail). DID.ie runs deals throughout November leading into Cyber Monday.

Date alignment

Ireland follows the US calendar without adjustment. Black Friday 2025 = November 28. Cyber Monday 2025 = December 1. The entire Cyber Week (November 24 – December 1) has become a shopping window in Ireland, with some deals starting even earlier. DID.ie (Irish retailer blog) confirms this extended timeline for Irish shoppers.

When Is Cyber Monday 2026?

Cyber Monday follows the same rule every year: the Monday after US Thanksgiving. US Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November. That makes Cyber Monday the fourth Monday of November at earliest (when Thanksgiving lands on the 22nd) or the first Monday of December at latest (when Thanksgiving falls on the 28th).

For 2026, the calendar breaks down as follows:

• Thanksgiving 2026: November 26
• Black Friday 2026: November 27
• Cyber Monday 2026: November 30

Ireland will follow these same dates, as it has since adopting the convention. Total expected spend projections for 2026 won’t appear in surveys until closer to the event, but the pattern suggests continued decline in per-person spending as consumer skepticism grows.

What this means: if you’re planning ahead for 2026, circle November 30. The Black Friday weekend (November 27-29) will carry the bulk of retail attention, but Cyber Monday deals will extend through the end of the month. Set price alerts now for products you’re watching — early November is when retailers start seeding “original” prices ahead of the sale.

Confirmed vs. Uncertain

Based on the research, here’s what’s certain and what’s not:

“2 in 3 (67%) adults in Ireland think that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are overrated.”

— iReach Insights (research firm with 1,000 nationally representative responses)

“62% of Irish respondents stated that they are likely or extremely likely to purchase at least one item over the sales weekend.”

— PwC Ireland (consulting firm with European retail benchmarking)

“Purchase scam cases rose by 47% in the first half of 2025 when compared to the final six months of 2024.”

— D.T. Ryan (journalist citing Bank of Ireland fraud data)

For Irish shoppers, the choice is clear: plan your purchases around the category you want (tech = Cyber Monday, appliances = Black Friday), verify prices before buying, and watch out for fraud. The deals are real for specific products — but the “up to 70% off” framing rarely applies to the item you’re actually hunting. Ireland spends more than most of Europe on this weekend while simultaneously trusting it the least. That’s not contradiction; that’s informed skepticism from a market that’s been through the hype cycle enough times to know the difference between marketing and value.

Related reading: When Is Cyber Monday 2025? Dec 1, Black Friday Comparison

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