If you think there’s gotta be one more day where holiday shopping will be filled with deals, you’re right – Green Monday. The “green” has no real relevance other than the money the consumer will spend, but its timing is significant because it's the last of the big holiday sales of the year.
If you want to mark the date in your perpetual calendar, it’s always the second Monday in December (this year, the 12th), the last day that shoppers can feel safe in placing an online order that should arrive in time for the holidays.
Which is better --- in-store or online?
Julie Ramhold, the consumer analyst with DealNews.com, shared the fact that most stores will probably lean in for online sales, but it's worth seeing if retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence are running the deals in-store as well.
“If you can shop in person or even online and pick up in-store, then you can eliminate the worries of items having to be shipped and potentially not arriving in time for the holidays,” she told ConsumerAffairs.
The best product sales categories will be …
Nope, it’s not Cyber Monday meets Groundhog Day, but Ramhold says her DealNews team was expecting electronics to lead the sales parade on Green Monday – with shoes and apparel right behind.
“Other deals will also be available but may not be branded as Green Monday sales, so if there's a retailer you're interested in, be sure to see if they're offering any kind of discounts,” she said.
What's the absolute biggest deal to be had?
Out of those two categories, the biggest of the deals might come from stores like Lenovo that are expected to take up to 70% off laptops. HP could knock up to 61% off laptops, desktops, and monitors for Green Monday, too.
“But, there are also retailers that could potentially knock up to $800 or more off of the latest iPhone, but keep in mind the iPhone 14 may be backordered, so even if you meet a shipping cutoff, this item may not arrive in time for Christmas.”
And if you don’t turn your nose up at refurbished items – which typically look brand new and come with a good warranty and an even better price break – there could also be some sweet deals on tech at stores like Dell Refurbished, eBay, and Apple’s outlet store.
As for the clotheshorses, they will get their fair share of good deals, too. Clothing and shoes could see discounts of up to 45% off from stores like Kohl's, Macy's, Reebok, and of course, eBay, since it started the whole Green Monday ball rolling.
Keep in mind delivery times
If you do buy something on Monday the 12th, you should keep in mind that delivery schedules are already etched in stone. As an example, USPS’s holiday delivery service commitments play out like this:
Domestic Mail Class/Product | Date (excluding Alaska & Hawaii) |
USPS Retail Ground Service | Dec. 17 |
First-Class Mail Service | Dec. 17 |
Priority Mail Service | Dec. 19 |
Priority Mail Express Service | Dec. 23 |
Delivery is even tighter for FedEx. Its Ground cutoff date is December 14 for domestic packages.
The number one shipping wrinkle that consumers need to be aware of when shopping on Green Monday is that many free or discounted shipping deals use slower shipping. And because of that, there's no guarantee that the day you buy something online it will be shipped the same day.
“Confirm your shipping dates before you click that buy button, and be wary of extra costs if you need to pay for faster shipping, as they can eat into your holiday budget,” DealNews’ Elizabeth Harper added.
“And don't forget: if you're buying online from a store with a brick-and-mortar location in your area, you may be able to opt for in-store pickup to save,” she concluded.