Online bargains for Cyber Monday can still be found. Here's where to look

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year for Canadians, but for solely online sales, Cyber Monday remains top — and some of Monday's deals are still available.

“When we isolate specifically digital commerce volumes with online it's actually Cyber Monday that happens to be the busiest day of the year,” David Litwin, a spokesperson for payment system Moneris Canada, told CTV News Toronto Monday.

Cyber Monday was created by retailers to encourage consumers to shop online, something that exploded in popularity during the pandemic.

While Black Friday sales online were down slightly in Canada this year, according to figures from Salesforce, the company said global sales figures were up by three per cent.

Many people were at their keyboards and on their smartphones until midnight Monday trying to find a last minute deal, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday have really become part of a week-long sales event and there are likely still deals to be found.

When it comes to the best deals on Cyber Monday, they’re usually on technology items, according to Farnoosh Torabi, editor at large with CNET Money.

“Tech shopping, so video game consoles, smart watches, phones, TVs, things in those categories," he said.

You'll find deals on televisions, laptops and tech devices as well as discounts on make-up and beauty products.

For example, Best Buy Canada is selling a 75-inch TV for $899, $500 off the initial price.

There are also savings being offered on holiday travel with some companies slashing vacation packages by hundreds or even thousands of dollars – Sunwing has vacation packages being offered at almost 50 per cent off.

“Everybody is looking for the best deal which is why we have to be aware of the threats around us,” Peirre-Marc Bureau , cyber expert with Google Canada, said.

Bureau said when shopping online make sure you're on a safe website and always look for the padlock in your browser.

“When you’re making purchases online check the website browser and look at the padlock sign to make sure your data is secure,” he said.

Bureau also said to watch out for phishing scams that can steal your data.

“If you get a warning about a website you’re visiting or something doesn't look safe - pay attention to these warnings,” Bureau said.

While looking for deals, you should stick with trusted retailers and beware of pop-up ads promoting stores you're not familiar with.

“If a price seems too good to be true it probably is.”