Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday

Experts tell how to get best bargains

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While Black Friday is known for its extreme deals, Cyber Monday also has enticing offers.

Channel 4 has been talking with the pros who make their living in the shopping business. The bottom line: while a few deals can only be had by those who line up early on Black Friday, the experts say many of the bargains you'll find in the fliers will also be available online, some even as early as Thanksgiving morning.

For those of you who enjoy the Black Friday rush and getting to the stores early, you'll probably be cutting your family time a little short this holiday.

"It seems like instead of Black Friday, it's turned into Black Thursday. For example, Walmart is opening Thanksgiving Day at 8 p.m.," said Jon Vincent, of BlackFriday.com.

If you're trying to decide between shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Black Friday is when you'll most likely save the most.

"A lot of the best deals we see on Black Friday are the big doorbuster deals, the prices that are unbelievable and you're only going to get them if you're on of the first people in line," said Lindsay Sakraida, features director for DealNews.com.

"The reality is, if you want one of those deals, you need to stand I line five or six hours early," said Vincent.

But if you don't want to camp out, that doesn't mean you're missing out. Both Sakraida and Vincent say Black Friday is the day you should be shopping.

"In general we found Black Friday had the most editors choice deals. Deals that are at the lowest price of the year," said Sakraida.

According to both DealNews.com and BlackFriday.com, you won't have to leave your home to get many of those deals.

"You can get almost all of the Black Friday deals online, actually on Thanksgiving morning rather than going to the store on Thanksgiving night or Black Friday. We estimate that all of the Black Friday deals will be available online for shoppers to purchase," said Vincent.

"Seventy percent of the in-store deals are available on line and for less," said Sakraida.

Both agree, you're still going to find some great savings on Cyber Monday, too, especially if you're looking for things like clothes or household items. 

But if you're on the hunt for toys, Sakraida says, "If you decide to skip Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals entirely, you can actually get better deals on toys and video games in the two weeks before Christmas."

Whether you are shopping online or in store, BlackFriday.com recommends checking its sister site coupongirl.com for unadvertised deals for things like free shipping or an additional discount on already slashed prices.

If you're looking for a high-end TVs or high-end electronics and it doesn't have to be a gift or it can wait until after the holidays are over, DealNews.com says the best prices on those items will be in January when the new models come out and stores need to get rid of the old ones.