7 Best Discount Shopping Days of the Year

Advertiser Disclosure ▾

This page contains affiliate links from which we receive a compensation. Like many publications Wise Bread is supported by affiliate commission from partner companies whose products appear on our site. This may influence which products we write about and the location and order in which products appear. We aren't able to cover every product in the marketplace.

Wise Bread Picks

• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

With just a few weeks left before Black Friday, you may be gearing up to start your Christmas shopping. However, it may surprise you that 32 million Americans started their Christmas shopping during the summer, according to a survey by creditcards.com.

Even more shocking, 4.6 million ultra early-bird shoppers are already done!

If you're wondering why people aren't starting their holiday shopping on Black Friday, the reason is that there are plenty of other major days for deals. Here is your ultimate calendar of shopping days that provide major savings.

1. Amazon Prime Day (Sometime in July)

While some people posted several funny responses to Amazon's well-publicized Prime Day earlier this year, many Americans surely took advantage of it, rocketing sales by 93%.

Here is a sample of the savings last July 15, 2015:

• 28% off GoPro HERO4 bundle (sale price: $499.99)
• 47% off Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones (sale price: $80)
• 34% off iRobot Robot Roomba (sale price: $250)
• 38% off Amazon Fire TV Stick (sale price: $24.00)

While Amazon hasn't announced if it would reprise its Prime Day in 2016, it's a good idea to save your chance for a free trial of Amazon Prime until July 2016 to potentially take advantage of this major shopping day. If you already have a Prime membership, make sure you use it then. (See also: 16 Amazon Deal Hacks You May Not Already Know)

2. Singles Day (November 11th)

Forget Black Friday, Singles Day (created by Chinese company Alibaba) is the largest shopping day in the world! In 2014, Singles Day hit a new record of $9.3 billion (RMB 57.1 billion) in gross merchandise sales, a 60% increase from last year's $5.8 billion. (See also: 4 Big Tech Stocks Offering Big Returns)

Only 27 merchants took part in Singles Day back when it first started in 2009. In just five years, that number grew to an estimated 27,000. Non-Chinese companies are also eager to jump in the game and more than 200 merchants from over 20 countries participated last year.

For 2015, the total value of discounted coupons is estimated to be $0.7 billion (RMB 4.8 billion).

3. Small Business Saturday (Saturday After Thanksgiving)

In 2014, 88 million Americans "shopped small" on Small Business Saturday, up 14.9% from the previous year, spending about $14.3 billion at independent retailers and restaurants.

To help its cardmembers in supporting their favorite local shops and small businesses, in previous years American Express has offered up to three $10 statement credits per eligible American Express Card for shopping at participating stores. In 2014, registration for this perk took place between November 1st and November 29th, so keep an eye on your American Express card portal and sign up for it under the "Amex Offers & Benefits" tab.

4. Cyber Monday (Monday After Thanksgiving)

This major shopping day has proven so successful for U.S. retailers that some of them, such as Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, already have landing pages for Cyber Monday (November 30, 2015) and extend some of the savings throughout "Cyber Week."

Here are some examples of past savings during Cyber Monday:

• In 2014, Amazon cut down the price of its Fire TV by $30 to $69.
   
• In 2014, Best Buy reduced the price of Sharp Aquos Q+ Series 70" Class LED 1080p 240Hz Smart HDTV by $1,100 to $1,799.99.
   
• In 2013, Newegg shaved off $100 of the LG G Pad 8.3 and offered it at $249.

5. Green Monday (Early December)

Created by eBay in 2007, Green Monday is held the second Monday of every December. Sorry environmentalists, this day has nothing to do with hugging trees — it's all about saving some greenbacks!

Since 2010, Green Monday has consistently ranked as the third heaviest online sales day of the year. And for good reason: Many retailers, including Walmart, Sears, Macy's, J.C. Penney, and Amazon take part of this shopping day. According to deals site FatWallet, about 70% of retailers take part of this day, offering 20% to 50% in discounts for toys and electronics.

6. Free Shipping Day (Middle December)

Taking place on December 18th this year, Free Shipping Day capitalizes on two big trends. First, more and more late Christmas shoppers are looking for free shipping with guaranteed arrival by Christmas Eve. Second, 90% of consumers spend more when offered free delivery, and nearly 50% of them will abandon an online shopping cart if met with high shipping fees.

The full list of participating merchants will be revealed at the same site at 12:01am EST on Friday, December 18, 2015. On top of guaranteed free shipping by Christmas Eve, most companies offer discount codes and coupons.

7. Super Saturday (Saturday Before Christmas)

Many shoppers won't be done until Christmas Eve. Retailers know this and are willing to provide some last minute savings on Super Saturday. While sale offers may differ among retailers, deals site DealNews found that last year Super Saturday offered good savings in TVs, appliances, and clothes (except shoes).

Some sample savings from 2014's Super Saturday were:

• Kmart: Westinghouse 39" TV ($239.99 with free shipping)
• Sears: Kenmore 1.6-Cubic-Foot Over-the-Range Microwave ($189.99)
• Sears: Kenmore 25-Cubic-Foot Side-by-Side Refrigerator ($985.28)
• Target: Samsung 32" HDTV ($199.99)
• Target: Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Gaming System ($149.99)
• Walmart: 55" LED HDTV ($678)
• Walmart: GoPro HERO3: White Edition Action Camcorder ($199)

What are other major shopping days besides Black Friday?

Like this article? Pin it!