Like the calm before the storm, Cyber Monday 2019 is almost upon us. While the biggest shopping day of the year is today, retailers are hoping for big shopping days right up until Christmas. Observers can already see some early trends and predictions based off of previous Black Fridays.

And they all point to a big, big, big season for anyone who works in the smart home and connected home tech industry. Let’s explore the data from past years and look at predictions for what lies ahead.

Just how big is Black Friday?

We all know Black Friday has been the biggest shopping day of the year, in both the United States and Canada. This extends to Black Friday weekend, with sales typically starting on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) and running through Cyber Monday and beyond. It doesn’t show any signs of slowing down either.

According to BlackFriday.com, in 2018 Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day generated $9.9 billion in online sales alone. In 2017 that number was $7.9 billion and in 2016 it was just $5.27 billion. If this growth continues, this year’s numbers could top $12 billion.

What are the prediction for the smart home?

Given that the smart home has been growing steadily year over year as a retail category, it’s no surprise it’s becoming one of the biggest focal points for Black Friday deals.

When looking at predictions for 2019, smart home ranks in the top 5 of categories consumers are looking for, along with clothes, small appliances, computing, and home theatre.

Moreover, BlackFriday.com reports that consumers say they’ll spend an average of $502 on this year’s Black Friday deals, which is up from $472 in 2018. That buys a lot of shiny new smart home tech.

What are some of the most popular Black Friday smart home deals?

While it’s too early to identify specific sales projections for smart home tech, it’s a good bet that the most popular products will mirror category trends over the past year or more.

That means you can expect to see lots of action in smart home categories like home security and home entertainment.

In the home security category, consumers will be snapping up wireless security systems like Ring, as well as Wi-Fi cameras, video doorbells, door and window sensors, and motion detectors.

In the home entertainment category, popular products will include voice assistant speaks and smart displays, such as Google Home and Amazon Echo Show. These can operate as a hub for an entire smart home network, provided they’re properly integrated with other smart products in the home.

How can smart home pros take advantage of Black Friday?

If you’re a smart home specialist, smart home installer, or telecommunications professional, Black Friday is about to put hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of smart home tech in the hands of millions and millions of potential new customers.

While smart home tech is generally DIY-friendly, many consumers require professional integration and installation in order to get the most of out of their features. Many are not familiar with this new technology and require assistance to set up and install products, such as a smart home security system that can be synced with a smart TV, smart speaker, and smartphone.