Cyber Monday started back in 2005 when online shopping was still pretty new, and retailers noticed that people jumped online the Monday after Thanksgiving to look for deals. It caught on instantly and turned into one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Now it’s basically the internet’s version of Black Friday, with brands dropping new tech discounts, limited-time promo codes, and surprise sales that only last a few hours.
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History of Cyber Monday
The term “Cyber Monday” was coined in 2005 by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation. She noticed a consistent spike in online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving, especially as people returned to work and finally had fast internet connections.
The NRF used the phrase in a press release, and it spread fast across news outlets and retailers who have been using it ever since. Within a year, the name became the standard label for the biggest online shopping day of the season.
As of 2025, the hashtag #CyberMonday has been used in over 4.3 million posts on Instagram, making it one of the most popular days in our national days calendar. Despite its popularity, Google Trends data shows that interest in Cyber Monday has been slowly declining, with its peak back in 2017.
When is Cyber Monday Observed?
Cyber Monday is observed on the Monday after Thanksgiving, which means the date shifts each year. Sometimes the day takes place in early December, but mostly it is observed in late November. The timing keeps it tied to the broader Thanksgiving shopping season, sitting three days after Black Friday and setting the pace for the final stretch of holiday deals.
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 1, 2025 | Monday |
| 2026 | November 30, 2026 | Monday |
| 2027 | November 29, 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | November 27, 2028 | Monday |
| 2029 | November 26, 2029 | Monday |
| 2030 | December 2, 2030 | Monday |
Cyber Mondays Facts
Cyber Monday has become a major part of the modern holiday shopping season, yet its origins and evolution reveal how quickly online retail changed consumer habits.
- The term was introduced in 2005. The National Retail Federation created “Cyber Monday” to encourage online shopping at a time when e-commerce was still growing.
- Workplace internet played a role. Early data showed a spike in Monday sales because many households had slow internet, so people waited to shop from office computers.
- It soon surpassed Black Friday online. Within a few years, Cyber Monday became the top online sales day of the year in the United States.
- The idea spread worldwide. Countries without Thanksgiving adopted the term because the online deals created their own momentum.
- The event expanded into a longer cycle. Retailers now extend digital promotions across several days, creating a broader, multi-day online shopping period.
