Cyber Week has so many incredible sales and discounts, it's hard to know where to start. Our expert has a few tips to help you navigate this week
* The days surrounding Thanksgiving feature a variety of shopping holidays, anti-consumerism days, and boycotts.
* Several grassroots movements are calling for boycotts of major retailers to protest economic inequality and corporate policies.
* In addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consumers can participate in Small Business Saturday and the charitable Giving Tuesday.
Everyone knows about Black Friday, the most ballyhooed (but not the busiest) shopping day of the year as people work off their Thanksgiving feasts by staying up all night and storming Targets and Best Buys (or, more likely, their websites) for doorbuster deals. And Cyber Monday has become nearly as popular as shoppers flock to the internet to hit the sales from their couches.
But what about the others?
For the next few days there will be a plethora of shopping (and anti-shopping) holidays, and a couple of boycotts. Here's what to know.
Mass Blackout, Nov. 25 - Dec. 2
We'll start with the boycotts.
Multiple grassroots organizations are calling for a nationwide economic shutdown during the busy holiday shopping season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to protest the Trump administration and economic inequality. They're urging all Americans to stop all spending, avoid travel and restaurants, cancel streaming and digital subscriptions, and refuse to go to work.
"If you must spend: support small, local businesses only. Pay in cash," organizers for "Mass Blackout" said. Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30 is exempted from the blackout.
We Ain't Buying It, Nov. 27 - Dec. 1
Activist groups protesting Target, Amazon and Home Depot for "caving in" to the Trump administration's policies are asking millions of Americans to avoid shopping at all those stores during the Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday weekend.
"Use the time and money to connect with those you love, and rediscover what matters," the "We Ain't Buying It" campaign says on its website. "Skip the companies undermining democracy. Shop small, local, or with businesses affirming our humanity."
Black Friday, Nov. 28
Black Friday as a shopping day began in the 1950s, according to the History Channel, so named by Philadelphia police to describe the chaos in the city the day after Thanksgiving.
But widespread media coverage in the 1980s of shoppers storming toy and department stores trying to find the wildly popular, largely out-of-stock Cabbage Patch Kids dolls made it a nationwide phenomenon. Annual near-riots continued, as manufacturers released more limited, must-have items and stores advertised heavily discounted "door-breaker" deals for early shoppers who lined up hours and even days before.
The annual surge has calmed down in recent years as more people began staying home and ordering their purchases online and in peace. But it's still a day of great deals, and many shoppers relish the planning and hunting aspect as they enter the fray.
Buy Nothing Day, Nov. 28
Want to protest the unfettered capitalism visible on Black Friday? Canadian artist Ted Dave created National Buy Nothing Day as an anti-consumerism holiday in 1992 and the nonprofit Adbusters began promoting it. It spread to the United States, then Japan, and was picked up in countries all over the world.
Participants are encouraged not to shop, for at least that day. Instead, they can think about how to save money around the house by reusing, repairing or recycling, donating to charities, or putting some money in their savings accounts.
Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29
The big stores get all the attention on Friday. But on Saturday, why not check out your local retailers, shops and artists? Your money stays in the community and directly benefits you and your neighbors as it keeps local employment high. Small business owners are also more likely to donate to nonprofits and community causes.
American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2020 and the U.S. Small Business Administration jumped in the next year. In 2023, the projected spending for Americans shopping at small businesses on Small Business Saturday was around $17 billion, according to the SBA.
Any small business is a great place to visit, but if you're looking for ideas American Express has an interactive map of participating stores.
Cyber Safety Sunday, Dec. 1
Before you go hog wild on Cyber Monday, make sure your computer security is up to snuff the day before.
In 2023, security software company Norton created Cyber Safety Sunday to raise awareness for people shopping online in a sea of scammers and crooks. It's on the same day as National Computer Security Day, created in 1988 to raise awareness after a virus invaded several universities and the early version of the internet.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are prime times for scammers to try stealing your money or identity. Here are a few ways to protect yourself.
* Update your passwords. Make sure any passwords for sites where you enter personal or payment information have strong, unique passwords.
* Update your security. Make sure you have the latest operating systems for your computer and mobile devices, as they'll have the latest security patches. Also, update any malware or virus detection you use.
* Don't click on ads on social media. They look legit but may lead you to counterfeit websites that will capture your login, personal and credit card info.
* Go directly to known sites. Fake ads and phishing texts or emails may send you to a very real-looking website. In 2023, Amazon's security team worked to remove more than 40,000 phishing websites and 10,000 scam phone numbers. Use your browser and go to the website directly, and make sure the web address looks correct.
* Assume that dirt-cheap deals are ripoffs, even on known sites. Sites like Amazon, Walmart, Target and others run third-party marketplaces where anyone can sell through them. Scammers use tate opportunity to put their counterfeit products under a legitimate store's online roof. Read the reviews and try to buy from manufacturer pages.
* Ignore delivery scam texts. If you get a text saying you have a delivery but your address is needed, it's a scam.
* Set alerts on your accounts to warn you about unusual activity. Use only credit cards when shopping online (they're protected with fraud liability, debit cards are not) and see if your bank or credit card company offers notifications of unusual activity.
Cyber Monday, Dec. 1
Born as a reaction to Black Friday after online sales became big, Cyber Monday has grown into a cyber week (and sometimes a whole month) or more of deals and special offers.
It was invented in 2005 by National Retail Foundation president Ellen Davis after data showed that retail shopping spiked the Monday after Thanksgiving. The holiday grew to become one of the biggest shopping days of the year. This year, 73.9 million people plan to shop that day, according to an annual National Retail Federation survey.
To participate in Cyber Monday, just... shop online Monday.
Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2
In 2012, leaders at New York City's famous 92nd Street Y community center decided to try to "make good go viral" within the concept of "radical generosity." The Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become a time for millions to give back to their communities by donating to nonprofits and charities, paying outstanding school lunch debt, paying for someone's groceries, leaving generous tips, and volunteering.
Giving Tuesday has turned into a yearlong effort, but the original Tuesday is still observed worldwide.
National Package Protection Day, Dec. 3
Porch piracy is a thing, and an annoying one. With a rise in packages getting swiped right off your front step, Ring.com founded National Package Protection Day in 2016 for the Wednesday after Thanksgiving to alert everyone about how to protect the stuff they just bought on Cyber Monday.
Aside from adding camera security to your front door, which Ring would probably appreciate, there are other steps you can take to protect your packages.
* Talk to your neighbors, especially if something is due to be delivered when you're not home. Neighborhood Facebook groups and other online chatrooms like Nextdoor can be very useful in spreading news about suspicious cars cruising houses.
* Watch for updates from your delivery services to have an idea when to expect your goods. The U.S. Postal Service offers "Informed Delivery," which lets you track your daily mail and packages, and UPS and FedEx have their own apps. Or you can use specialty apps such as Deliveries, Orderly, Route, or AfterShip.
* Request that deliveries get put behind bushes or trash cans or someplace they can't be seen from the street.
* Request a signature on delivery, especially for big-ticket items.
* Schedule deliveries for when you are home.
* Have packages sent to your work address, drop boxes or in-store pickups instead of home delivery.
Penalties for porch piracy got worse last year in Florida, thanks to a new law.
Thieves now face a third-degree felony if they steal between $40 and $750. That's down from $100 to $750, according to the Florida Legislature. The law also created new offenses, including a third-degree felony for stealing $750 or more of property and a second-degree felony if they use social media to solicit others to help.