Black Friday, Cyber Monday, free shipping: A retail shopping guide for the holidays

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

York Daily Record

The prime time for holiday shopping is nearly upon us.

Stores wasted no time revealing their killer deals over the past couple of weeks.

It might be difficult to know where to start, especially if you have plenty of people on your Christmas list.

Sure, you've heard of all of the retail "holidays," but what exactly are these key dates and what days do they fall on?

Let's break it down so that both your wallet and relentless curiosity are satisfied.

Black Friday

Black Friday is usually on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, it's Nov. 23.

Countless retail ads have already been released. Many will be open for Thanksgiving and some have fixed hours for Black Friday.

Small Business Saturday

Small businesses matter in every community. It falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when you're still making use of those leftovers.

This year, it will be on Nov. 24. On Tuesday, Nov. 20, Mayor Helfrich is expected to make a proclamation about Small Business Saturday with Downtown Inc and Downtown York merchants, according to news release.

Participating in Small Business Saturday is just one of many things to do in York or other local communities for Thanksgiving weekend.

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is the hallmark for online deals and savings. This means, you can get all of your holiday shopping done from the comfort of your own couch.

It's on the Monday following Thanksgiving. This year, that's Nov, 26. Filling an online shopping cart beats lugging around one in a crowded store.

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is on the Tuesday that follows Thanksgiving. It's fueled by activism and getting involved in your communities and charities worldwide. Giving Tuesday is on Nov. 27.

You can find more information here.

Free shipping

There's nothing worse than having a basket full of items online, only to be met with costly shipping fees when you check out. A few places have relinquished that worry and introduced reasonable shipping methods.

Amazon - Prime members can receive free two-day shipping on items, but now, "all Amazon customers can enjoy free shipping with no minimum purchase amount on orders that will arrive in time for the Christmas holiday," according to a news release. This will be for a limited time.
Walmart - Tons of new items are now eligible for free, two-day shipping without a membership fee.
Target - Since Nov. 1, the retailer has been offering free, two-day shipping on "hundreds of thousands of items," according to CNBC. This will continue until Dec. 22.

Green Monday

Green Monday is very similar to Cyber Monday except it is on the second Monday in December. You didn't think online sales were going to settle for a one-day spotlight, did you?

Green Monday 2018 is on Dec. 10.

Super Saturday

Procrastinators know Super Saturday all too well. Last-minute shoppers use Super Saturday because it's the last Saturday before Christmas Day.

It's basically the end of the holiday shopping season and every retailer's last push to get an influx of shoppers. Super Saturday 2018 is on Dec. 22.