25 Black Friday Promotion Ideas to Boost Sales (2025)

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, Shopify merchants collectively made $11.5 billion in sales, a 24% year-over-year increase. With record-high spending and surging site traffic, the opportunity is massive, but so is the competition. How you show up during Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) can make or break your results.

The good news is, you don’t need to plan months in advance or rely on deep discounts to stand out during BFCM. This guide will show you a selection of profitable Black Friday promotion ideas that can help you drive sales this BFCM, no matter your team size or timeline.

25 Black Friday promotion ideas to boost sales

Running a successful sale involves more than just planning around store traffic and profit margins. Your performance will also be determined by how creative your offer is and how you market it to potential customers.

Taking the time to execute effective Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns can be worthwhile. Just ask any of the more than 67,000 Shopify merchants who had their highest selling day ever during BFCM 2024.

While coming up with a unique sale will require some brainstorming, here are Black Friday marketing ideas you can use for inspiration.

1. Make long-distance gifting easier
2. Offer a gift card with a purchase
3. Curate a bundle of your products
4. Create mystery boxes and surprise bundles
5. Gamify your Black Friday promotions
6. Build Black Friday excitement with daily deals
7. Run hourly flash sales
8. Offer a free gift with every purchase
9. Implement tiered discount strategies
10. Partner with influencers to promote sales
11. Donate to a cause with every purchase
12. Host livestream shopping events
13. Email exclusive Black Friday promotions
14. Offer referral rewards to loyal customers
15. Add scratch cards and instant win games
16. Create unique and helpful gift guides
17. Create Black Friday and Cyber Monday collections
18. Offer a Black Friday promotional coupon at checkout
19. Deploy exit-intent pop-ups with special offers
20. Create mobile-optimized experiences
21. Use countdown timers
22. Offer free shipping
23. Run anti-BFCM campaigns
24. Offer free gift wrapping services
25. Create wish list reminder campaigns

1. Make long-distance gifting easier

The holiday season is a time for giving gifts to friends, family, and coworkers, even those who don’t live nearby. More people are buying gifts online and having them shipped directly to friends and family. In fact, cross-border orders represented 16% of all global orders made on Shopify stores during BFCM 2024.

You can make long-distance gifting easier for new and existing customers with gift-related upselling and cross-selling, optional gift wrapping services, personalized cards and messages, and the option to select a target delivery date for the gift to arrive.

There are several Shopify apps that can help you incorporate gifting options into your checkout flow, such as Super Gift Options.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use apps like Super, Giftship, or Zinrelo to enable gift messaging, delivery date selection, and wrapping options directly in the checkout flow.
• Surface gifting options early and add a banner or cart message that says, “Send this as a gift!”
• Test shipping speeds for key regions so you can give accurate delivery estimates. Include a “Will arrive by [date]” note on product pages to drive urgency.

2. Offer a gift card with a purchase

One smart way to leverage gift cards is as an incentive in a promotion. When a customer purchases a certain product or makes an order above a certain threshold, they could get a free gift card for a future purchase. If you’re on Shopify, gift card support is available on all plans. 

Since gift cards are redeemed only when they are used, this approach creates a win-win situation. You either get a repeat customer down the road or a new customer if the gift card is given to a friend or family member. When shoppers do redeem the gift card, they’ll likely spend more than the card’s value. 

Tips for making it work: 

• Use Shopify’s built-in gift card tool.
• Set a minimum spend threshold, e.g., “Spend $100, get a $10 gift card.”
• Clearly communicate how and when the card can be used, e.g., “Redeemable from Dec 1–31.”
• Promote the deal in email campaigns and cart banners using urgency-driven copy like “Today only!”

3. Curate a bundle of your products

Bundling products is one of the easiest ways to provide more value to customers while increasing your store’s average order value. This is a key way to retain a healthy profit margin for your business.

You can take this idea even further with a mystery bundle containing some of your best products offered at a significant discount for those willing to buy everything. This has the added benefit of helping you clear old, or underperforming inventory.

To make the offers even more enticing, you can create tiers of bundles, like Nguyen Coffee Supply does. Offering multiple bundles and various price points could help you connect with customers who have different budgets.

You can also keep some of the items in the bundle a “mystery” and slowly reveal them on each day of the sale. By revealing the items one at a time, you can appeal to a different segment of your customers each day and drive consistent traffic and revenue throughout your entire sale period.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use the Shopify Bundles app or third-party apps like Amplify to group products.
• Offer two to three bundle options at different price points (e.g., $25, $50, $75) to match customer budgets.
• Label bundles as “Limited-Time Holiday Sets” and showcase value (e.g., “Worth $90, but yours for $59”).
• Regularly check inventory to ensure bundles don’t break when a single item goes out of stock.

4. Create mystery boxes and surprise bundles

Spark curiosity and boost your average order value with mystery boxes and surprise bundles. These limited-edition offers tap into people’s love of getting more than they expected and the thrill of the unknown.

Here’s how it works: You curate a bundle of products (usually themed or seasonal), pop them into one product listing, and don’t reveal exactly what’s inside. Instead, give customers a few clues, like “5 of our bestselling skin care treats worth $70+ for just $30,” and let the mystery do the heavy lifting.

This works well for two reasons: urgency and value. You’re creating a limited-edition deal that feels exclusive and exciting. Plus, customers know they’re getting more bang for their buck, so they’re more likely to add to their cart quickly.

It’s also a brilliant way to move stock that might not sell on its own, introduce customers to new favorites, and inject a bit of fun into the usual BFCM madness. Just make sure the box genuinely feels like a steal.

Tips for making it work: 

• Price boxes at 40% to 50% off retail value to make them feel like a steal. For example: “$30 box with $70+ value.”
• Create two to three mystery box tiers by theme (e.g., “Skin Care Essentials,” “Cozy Home Kit”).
• Reveal one item in the box each day via email or social to maintain engagement throughout BFCM.
• Use tags to group excess or slow-moving inventory for inclusion in mystery bundles.

5. Gamify your Black Friday promotions

By incorporating gamification into your online store you can get more engagement from your BFCM campaign. Gamification comes in many forms, but there are a few approaches you can set up and easily try using Shopify apps.

Wheelio is an app that turns email collection into a fun game of chance. Your customers spin a wheel or play a slot-machine-style game and hope to land on a big discount, for example: 30% off orders over a predetermined amount, a free gift with purchase, etc.

The game is meant to increase email and SMS opt-in rates for new visitors and re-engage your existing customers by offering a new way to save on their favorite products.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use apps like Wheelio or Spin-a-Sale to create gamified pop-ups.
• Trigger games on exit intent or after a 10-second site visit to capture attention without annoying users.
• Offer a mix of low-cost incentives and a few higher-value prizes (e.g., 10% off, free gift, $100 voucher).
• Require email/SMS opt-in before playing to grow your owned list.

6. Build Black Friday excitement with daily deals

Keeping the momentum and excitement throughout your entire sale period is one of the most challenging aspects of an extended BFCM campaign. Successfully engaging new shoppers during a four-, five-, or even seven-day period may require you to create exclusive single-day sales for specific products.

If you sell several categories of products, this type of promotion creates opportunities to focus on individual segments of your customer base. Having a daily (or even nightly) deal may also improve email open rates, since each day you can send a new message that features fresh content and a limited-time offer.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use the Daily Deals app or Shopify’s native scheduling tools to set up timed offers and hourly deals in advance.
• Feature a single product category each day (e.g., Monday = skin care, Tuesday = loungewear) to target different segments.
• Set up a centralized landing page for “Today’s Deal” and link to it in daily emails, SMS, and banners.
• Include countdown timers and “coming soon” teasers to drive anticipation and repeat visits.

7. Run hourly flash sales

Dropping new deals every hour (or at regular intervals) creates a sense of urgency that’s hard to ignore and keeps customers coming back to see what’s next.

You don’t need to run a new deal every hour, but you could try every two or three hours, or even four big drops throughout the day. The goal is to build anticipation.

Make sure people know when the next deal is dropping. Use your site banner to count down to the next flash sale, schedule emails with urgent subject lines, and tease the time slots on social media or via SMS. You want your audience checking their phones, refreshing your site, and staying engaged throughout the day.

Think about how your deals flow. Start the day with smaller offers to warm people up, then save your best discounts or most in-demand products for later in the day, when FOMO is peaking.

Tips for making it work:

• Don’t feel pressured to update every hour. Try three to four big drops per day (e.g., morning, lunchtime, evening).
• Use Shopify Scripts or automation tools like Shopify Flow (for Plus merchants) to change pricing or inventory visibility.
• Tease upcoming drops on Instagram Stories, email, and site banners (“Next drop at 2 p.m.!”).
• Set strict time limits (e.g., 60 mins) to create urgency and prevent decision fatigue.

8. Offer a free gift with every purchase

Even though BFCM is perhaps the most socially accepted time to put your products on sale, many brands still fear losing their luxury appeal by discounting their merchandise. An alternative way to take advantage of the holiday rush without slashing prices is to offer a gift with purchase.

Our Place was able to maintain its luxury appeal for its cookware by offering customers a mystery gift if they spent over a certain amount on their order. This helped to increase average order value, unload inventory, and engage customers who might have been on the fence about making a purchase.

A typical “gift” usually consists of a free low-cost item with every sale. You also may want to consider offering a free high-value or limited edition item with a minimum spend, which can help make your gift stand-out amidst a sea of other offers. Whatever gift or bonus you decide on, aim to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to take advantage of the deal before it’s gone.

Tips for making it work: 

• Choose low-cost, high-perceived-value items like samples, minis, or exclusive merch.
• Clearly display the offer on the product page and cart (“Free mystery gift with every $60+ order!”).
• Use Shopify’s automatic discounts to trigger the free gift when a condition is met.
• Highlight limited availability (“Only while supplies last!”) to drive urgency.

9. Implement tiered discount strategies

Tiered discounts are a smart way to increase average order value without giving too much away upfront. Rather than offering a flat percentage off everything, you create reward thresholds that encourage customers to spend more to unlock bigger savings.

For example:

• “Spend $50, save 10%”
• “Spend $100, save 20%”
• “Spend $150, save 25%”
  
  

This plays on the “goal gradient effect,” a psychological principle that makes people more motivated to complete a task the closer they get to the reward. Shoppers will often add extra items to their cart just to hit the next discount tier. This tactic is especially effective if you use cart progress indicators like “You’re just $12 away from 20% off!”

Choose your tiers by starting with your current average order value (AOV) and set your lowest threshold just above that number. For example, if your AOV is $48, set the first tier at $60. That way, you’re nudging customers upward without massive discounts.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use thresholds like: “Spend $50, get 10% off”; “Spend $100, get 20% off.”
• Display tiers clearly on product pages and in the customer’s cart. Use a sticky banner to remind shoppers how close they are to the next tier.
• Test tier breakpoints using AOV data. Aim for your tier 2 to be 10% to 20% above your current AOV to encourage upsell behavior.
• Combine with bundles or free shipping to further increase cart value.

10. Partner with influencers to promote sales

Partnering with influencers to promote your product can be an effective way to build widespread brand awareness and trust. Done the right way, influencer marketing can also drive direct sales during your seasonal campaigns.

The key to setting up a successful influencer promotion is knowing in advance how your product resonates with their audience. Look amongst those who you’ve had some success with in the past and choose your top-performing influencer partners to promote your sale.

Creating an exclusive discount code or deal that is catered to an influencer’s followers will help personalize the offer. Additionally, having the influencer curate a bundle of their favorite products builds a more authentic connection to the products they’re promoting.

Tips for making it work: 

• Choose three to five influencers with an engaged audience, not just a large following (micro-influencers often perform better).
• Give them a custom discount code and/or let them curate their own bundle.
• Use Shopify Collabs to track influencer sales.
• Create urgency by making the influencer’s deal time-limited or exclusive.

11. Donate to a cause with every purchase

Some brands choose to not run any traditional BFCM promotions at all. Instead, many of these companies publicize donating a portion or even all of their proceeds to a charity or emphasize their participation in Small Business Saturday. This approach not only appeals to shoppers who don’t want to participate in the seasonal frenzy but can strengthen your messaging around corporate social responsibility.

The Give & Grow app makes it easy to personalize donations from within a customer’s cart or on the checkout page. For example, hat maker Brixton offers customers the chance to donate to Rollin’ From the Heart, an organization that supports mentorship for at-risk and disadvantaged youth.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use Shopify apps like Give & Grow or Shop for Good to embed donation options directly into your cart or product page.
• Offer customers the ability to choose a cause or round up their total at checkout.
• Make the campaign visible with badges like “This purchase supports [cause]” or “We’re donating 10% of all BFCM profits to [cause].”
• Share transparent impact updates on social media or via post-purchase email to build trust.

12. Host livestream shopping events

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Live, and Facebook Live make it easy to go live, chat with your audience, and demo your products in real time. You can answer questions on the spot, show how things look or work up close, and build a real sense of connection, which can be hard to do with static product pages or pre-recorded videos alone.

The magic lies in making your livestreamed shopping events interactive and exclusive. Think behind-the-scenes peeks, try-ons, product tutorials, or gift guide walk-throughs. Drop time-sensitive discount codes during the stream to encourage viewers to act fast. You can even reward early birds or commenters with secret offers or giveaways to keep the momentum going.

Promote your livestream well in advance across email, social, and SMS. Let people know when it’s happening, what they’ll get out of it, and how to join. 

Tips for making it work: 

• Use TikTok, Instagram Live, or Facebook Live to go live during peak BFCM hours. Use tools like Bambuser or Shopify’s TikTok integration to enable in-video shopping.
• Plan your stream with a script. Start with a product walkthrough, then exclusive discounts, and end with a live Q&A or giveaway.
• Drop time-sensitive codes or “live-only” bundles to encourage fast action.
• Tease your live stream in emails and SMS (“We’re going live at 7 p.m. with secret deals 👀”).

13. Email exclusive Black Friday promotions

People on your email list are already invested in your brand and what you have to offer. Secure a few sales ahead of Black Friday by sending out an exclusive BFCM email campaign just for your subscribers. This type of exclusive promotion incentivizes customer loyalty and provides a direct channel to reach interested shoppers. 

You can offer an extra discount to your email list or give them early access to deals before your offers go out to the wider public. 

Offering exclusive first-look access is a great way to create a sense of urgency and ensure valued customers feel looked after. Yolélé, which sells ready-to-cook fonio (one of West Africa’s oldest cereal grains) to wide audiences, explicitly calls out this first-chance opportunity in its email. By referring to those not on their email list as “everyone else,” Yolélé makes its customers feel exclusive.

Tips for making it work: 

• Segment your list by VIP customers, recent browsers, and high-LTV cohorts.
• Offer early access to your sale with subject lines like “You get first dibs 👀” or “VIP early access starts now.”
• Use countdown timers and “tap to save” buttons inside your emails.
• Include social proof in your email body (e.g. “Best-selling hoodie: 2,300 sold last BFCM!”).

14. Offer referral rewards to loyal customers

Word-of-mouth marketing is still a powerful way to get more business. Use this to your advantage during BFCM by rewarding loyal customers for promoting your business. For every new customer they refer, offer a reward like money off, a coupon, or points they can redeem at a later date. By incentivizing customers to refer their friends and family, you can drive sales, expand your customer base, and increase brand awareness.

This tactic also helps secure long-term customers rather than one-time sales, increasing retention rates across the board.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use apps like ReferralCandy or Smile.io to create automated referral flows.
• Offer double-sided rewards (e.g. “Give 20%, Get $10,” or “Get store credit for every referral”).
• Promote the referral program heavily before and during BFCM via email banners, thank you pages, and social callouts.
• Consider a leaderboard or bonus reward for your top referrers.

15. Add scratch cards and instant win games

Digital scratch cards and instant win games are a fun way to surprise customers and give them a final nudge to complete their purchase.

These mini-games can be embedded right on your site (often at checkout or post-purchase) and offer shoppers a chance to “scratch” or spin to win a reward, such as free shipping, 10% off their next order, a free gift, or entry into a bigger giveaway. 

It’s a clever way to boost engagement and average order value, as you can offer extra plays for higher spend amounts, or use it to incentivize account signups and email subscriptions.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use gamification apps like ViralSweep, Gleam, or Scratch & Win to create fun onsite experiences.
• Trigger scratch cards during checkout, after add to cart, or post-purchase.
• Keep most rewards small (e.g., 5% off or a sticker), but include a few big-ticket prizes to generate excitement.
• Offer extra entries for sharing on social, spending a certain amount, or referring friends.

16. Create unique and helpful gift guides

Creating a collection of themed gift guides can help shoppers find the perfect gifts, saving them time and effort while also showcasing a larger chunk of your product catalog. 

Use target buyer persona research to create gift guides for different customer segments—for example, you can create gift guides by interest, personality type, or activity. You can take it one step further and feature discounted items or bundled goods to drive sales and capitalize on holiday shopping. Luxury fashion house Chanel has product guides bundled by unique personas, for example.

Tips for making it work: 

• Segment guides by persona (e.g., “For the Coffee Lover,” “Gifts Under $50,” “For New Parents”) or category.
• Use Shopify’s collections feature to build themed gift guide landing pages.
• Add badges like “Editor’s Pick” or “Bestseller” to reduce decision fatigue.
• Promote your guides in email, blogs, Instagram Highlights, and with Pinterest pins, which can help with SEO and discoverability.

17. Create Black Friday and Cyber Monday collections

Sometimes shoppers know exactly what they’re looking for on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and sometimes they need a little inspiration. By grouping together relevant items, you can highlight your best deals, attract customers, and increase sales. You can base your collections on similar items or a specific theme, or align them with your existing gift guides.

These collections tap into the excitement of BFCM and can drive impulse purchases by encouraging customers to take advantage of limited-time offers. 

Art of Play combined multiple tactics with its mystery playing card collection. Not only does putting together a collection entice curious shoppers to buy, but it also introduces them to a wider selection of the brand’s product range. In addition, putting a 24-hour time limit on it creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use Shopify’s smart collections to group discounted or limited-edition products automatically.
• Create urgency with labels like “Ends Monday” or “Final few left.”
• Display the full collection as a dedicated section on your homepage and link to it in your main navigation.
• Use email and SMS to drive traffic to these curated collections throughout the weekend.

18. Offer a Black Friday promotional coupon at checkout

Reward customers who make it all the way to checkout with a coupon they can use to unlock even more discounts. This will give on-the-fence shoppers the nudge they need to finish their purchase and give them a little surprise at the same time. 

By offering coupons that can be applied at checkout, you can entice new customers with extra savings and ensure they make it all the way to checkout. This strategy increases the perceived value of your deals and can lead to higher conversion rates. 

Tips for making it work: 

• Use dynamic checkout code reveals, like “Use code BFCM10 at checkout” or “Unlock 20% off—only visible once you reach the cart.”
• Pair coupons with cart drawer messages or progress bars for extra motivation.
• Test different incentives (e.g., % off, free shipping, free gift) to find the highest-performing variation.
• Track coupon redemptions by source to optimize your channels.

19. Deploy exit-intent pop-ups with special offers

A well-timed, exit-intent pop-up gives you one last chance to turn a hesitant shopper into a customer.

It works because it feels exclusive and personal. You’re acknowledging that the shopper was close to buying and giving them a low-stakes reason to stick around. Bonus points if you offer a countdown timer to create urgency or pair the offer with a Quick Add to Cart button.

You can also tailor these pop-ups to cart value, time on page, or specific product views to make them feel more relevant. It’s a small intervention that can make a big difference, especially during BFCM, when attention spans are short and distractions are everywhere.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use tools like Privy, Justuno, or OptiMonk to create pop-ups triggered by exit intent (cursor movement or back button).
• Offer a last-chance discount or a free gift if they complete checkout within 10 minutes.
• Tailor the pop-up based on cart value or product page visited to keep it relevant.
• A/B test copy and design to avoid popup fatigue.

20. Create mobile-optimized experiences

Shoppers are browsing (and buying) on their phones more than ever, so your mobile UX needs to be smooth, fast, and friction-free.

Start with the basics by making sure your banners work well on smaller screens, your fonts are legible, and your site loads quickly. But don’t stop there. Think about the full journey. Can customers add to cart with one tap? Is the checkout process short, snappy, and easy to navigate with thumbs?

Mobile-optimization also means less clutter. Keep your CTAs bold and visible, reduce pop-ups that are hard to close on mobile, and ditch any slow-loading elements that might derail the experience.

And during a high-traffic event like BFCM, test everything in advance—especially your promo banners, discount codes, and checkout flows. One broken button or clunky step on mobile can cost you a sale.

Tips for making it work: 

• Audit your site with tools like Hotjar to assess mobile user behavior.
• Use sticky Add to Cart buttons, one-tap payment options (Shop Pay, Apple Pay), and fast-loading product pages.
• Reduce or remove intrusive popups that are hard to close on mobile.
• Test all flows (especially cart and checkout) on iOS and Android devices before BFCM weekend.

21. Use countdown timers

Countdown timers create a sense of urgency—perfect for a limited-time event like a Black Friday sale. This sense of urgency can encourage impulse purchases and get on-the-fence shoppers across the checkout line.

Flavored water retailer Hint put a countdown on its promotion of its Cyber Monday sale. It sent a clear message to its customers: Buy now or miss out on the discounts we are offering you.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use apps like Countdown Timer Bar to add timers to product pages, headers, or pop-ups.
• Tie timers to your daily deals, flash sales, or cart-based discounts (“Only 30 minutes left to claim!”).
• Use subtle animations to draw attention but avoid intrusive designs that slow down your site.
• Pair timers with social proof (“120 people bought this in the last 24 hrs”) for added urgency.

22. Offer free shipping

Shipping fees can be make or break for a new customer. In fact, many consumers expect free shipping, especially if they place an order over a certain value. 

Consider offering free shipping during your BFCM sales to incentivize shoppers to buy. Alternatively, you can offer free shipping on orders over a certain value to encourage customers to add more items to their cart and boost the average order value, like clothing retailer Anthropologie does. 

Tips for making it work: 

• Use thresholds like “Free shipping over $50” to encourage higher AOV. It’s common to set your threshold slightly higher than the price of your most popular product. That incentivizes shoppers to branch out and add other products in order to get that free shipping.
• Show a live cart progress bar (“You’re $12 away from free shipping!”) using apps like Hextom: Free Shipping Bar.
• Make the offer sitewide or exclusive to email/SMS subscribers to track performance.
• Use geolocation tools to display region-specific shipping policies or timelines.

23. Run anti-BFCM campaigns

Not every customer is hunting for a bargain bin blowout, which is where anti-BFCM campaigns can come into play. These are for conscious shoppers who care more about thoughtful purchases, ethical production, and quality over quantity.

Instead of slashing prices, highlight your values. For example, is sustainability one of your brand’s core values? Lean into that. A recent report revealed that shoppers are willing to pay a 9.7% sustainability premium and are even more likely to buy from brands who use sustainable practices.

So, run “slow commerce” promotions that spotlight your small-batch products, sustainable practices, or handmade items. Position your campaign around mindful gifting by encouraging customers to buy better, not more.

Some brands choose to donate a percentage of Black Friday sales to charity, close their stores entirely to take a stand, or offer “buy one, give one” promos that align with their mission. Others simply share stories about how their products are made, who they support, and why they’re worth the price.

Tips for making it work: 

• Position your brand as a “Buy better, not more” option.
• Share founder stories, product craftsmanship, or community impact instead of pushing discounts.
• Offer alternative value e.g., charitable donations, free shipping, extended warranties, or “slow bundles.”
• Time your campaign just before or after BFCM to stand out from the crowd.

24. Offer free gift wrapping services

Sometimes it’s the little touches that seal the deal, and free gift wrapping is one of those easy wins. Whether you’re selling online or in-store, offering to wrap items for free adds a layer of convenience and delight that shoppers really appreciate, especially during the holiday rush.

At checkout, a simple checkbox for “Free gift wrapping” can boost perceived value without eating into your margins. It makes your product feel more premium, saves the customer time and effort, and turns their purchase into a ready-to-gift item.

In-store? A festive wrapping station (or even just a beautifully branded bag) creates a feel-good moment that encourages brand loyalty. You can even brand the packaging or include a handwritten note to make it more personal.

Tips for making it work: 

• Add a checkbox at checkout using apps like Wrapped or Gift Wrap Plus.
• Promote gift wrapping as a free upgrade on product pages and in BFCM emails.
• Use custom-branded packaging, tissue paper, or note cards to turn the unboxing into a brand moment.
• In-store? Set up a seasonal gift wrap station with signage and holiday branding.

25. Create wish list reminder campaigns

Shoppers are busy. They tend to browse, save, and forget, which is why wish list reminder campaigns are so effective, especially during BFCM when prices drop and stock moves fast.

Timing-wise, sending a reminder a day or two into your Black Friday sale works well, as this is when people are already in shopping mode but haven’t made up their minds. If you’re offering a discount on wishlist items, mention it upfront in the subject line.

Keep the tone helpful and use clear visuals of the saved product to jog their memory. Bonus points if you can offer one-click checkout straight from the email or notification.

Tips for making it work: 

• Use apps like Swish, Growave, or Swym to enable saving products to a wish list.
• Set up automated flows in Klaviyo or Omnisend to email reminders when saved items are on sale, low in stock, or back in stock.
• Include visuals of the saved items, dynamic pricing, and urgency language (“Your wish list pick is selling fast!”).
• Follow up after BFCM with a “Still thinking about this?” retargeting email.

Black Friday timeline: When to start your campaigns

Black Friday might not land until late November, but the brands that win big start prepping months in advance. 

Here’s a month-by-month planning framework to keep you on track:

September: Foundation building

Before you send a single promo, make sure your site and systems are ready to handle the BFCM traffic.

Start with a full website audit:

• Check site speed, mobile responsiveness, and checkout functionality.
• Make sure your product pages are clear, accurate, and optimized for conversions.
• Identify bestselling SKUs and stock levels (now’s the time to forecast inventory and loop in suppliers).

It’s also the perfect moment to reach out to partners and collaborators. Want to run a joint giveaway, partner promo, or affiliate campaign? Start planting those seeds now so everything’s ready to go when the shopping season heats up.

October: List building and teasers

Now that your foundation’s solid, it’s time to grow your audience and start building hype.

Focus on capturing leads:

• Run email list-building campaigns with a compelling Black Friday hook (e.g. “Get early access to our biggest sale ever”).
• Use social media countdowns and sneak peeks to build curiosity.
• Set up VIP early-bird lists or gated early access pages to make your best customers feel special.

This is also a great time to start warming up your existing list. Send teaser emails, share value-packed content, and hint at what’s coming. 

November: Launch and momentum

It’s showtime! You don’t want to rely on just one email blast or a single discount to carry you through.

Kick off your campaign early (many brands launch around the second week of November) and plan out a cadence to keep momentum going.

• Roll out deals in phases, like daily drops, limited-time offers, or collection-based promos.
• Run live shopping events, Q&As, or product walkthroughs to keep customers engaged.
• Use urgency tactics like countdown timers, limited-stock banners, and flash sales to drive conversions throughout the weekend.

December: Follow-up and retention

In early December, consider running post-BFCM extensions or smaller “thank you” promos to catch the latecomers. Even something simple like “Missed out? Here’s one last chance” can go a long way.

More importantly, shift your focus to retention:

• Send thank you emails to new customers and turn them into repeat buyers.
• Share product care tips, gift guides, or tutorials to increase post-purchase satisfaction.
• Offer loyalty perks, referral bonuses, or bounce-back discounts for January.