Why "25% off everything" isn't your only option

Black Friday is November 27, and most product brands default to the same plan: a sitewide discount and a few emails. The problem is that while it's easy to plan an execute, a large-scale sitewide discount eats your margin on every order, including the ones that would have happened anyway.

Good news: a deep discount isn't your only option for a profitable Black Friday!

In Impact's 2025 holiday shopping research, free shipping was actually the most-wanted holiday promotion, picked by 44% of shoppers. Free gifts and bundles also made the list.

So before you Here are five BFCM promotions I recommend to clients who want a strong weekend without giving away the store, plus how to set each one up in Shopify.

The 5 promotions

1. Free shipping over a threshold

It's the offer shoppers want most, and it nudges order size up instead of price down. Set the threshold just above your current average order value, so customers add one more thing to qualify.

Set it up: Shopify admin → Discounts → Create discount → Free shipping. Make it automatic with a minimum purchase amount, and add start and end dates. A free shipping progress bar in the cart ("You're $12 away from free shipping!") makes it work harder.

Best for: almost every brand, especially if your average order sits just under a round number.

2. Free gift with purchase

Instead of discounting what someone already wants, add something they didn't expect. A mini candle, a sample size, a tote. The perceived value is high, and your actual cost is the product cost, not 25% of the whole order.

Set it up: Discounts → Buy X Get Y, with the reward set to "Free" and a minimum purchase amount. The gift is added to the cart automatically.

Best for: brands with low-cost minis, samples, or slow-moving products worth introducing to new customers. (This is a great way to get rid of dead stock!)

3. Gift-ready bundles

Bundles raise order value and solve the shopper's real problem in November: "What do I buy for my sister?" Create two or three bundles at different price points so there's one for every gift budget.

Set it up: the free Shopify Bundles app works for fixed sets. One thing to watch: a bundle goes unavailable when any product inside it sells out, so check stock on every component before the weekend.

Best for: any brand with complementary products. Name them like gifts ("The Cozy Night In Set"), not like SKUs.

4. Tiered discounts (spend more, save more)

If you do want a percentage off, tie it to cart size. For example, 10% off $50+, 15% off $100+, 20% off $150+. Shoppers feel rewarded for adding more, and your biggest discounts go to your biggest orders.

Set it up: create one automatic "amount off order" discount per tier, each with its own minimum purchase. Show the tiers clearly in your announcement bar and on the cart page so no one has to guess. This also deserves a special spot on the homepage.

Best for: brands that have trained customers to expect a sale, but need larger orders to make it pay off.

5. Early access for your email list

This one costs you nothing in margin. Open the sale to subscribers 24–48 hours early, before the public announcement. It rewards your best customers, grows your list in the weeks before BFCM, and spreads your sales over more days.

Set it up: a signup form promising early access (live now, in October), then a segmented early-access email in Klaviyo or Shopify Messaging. Pair it with a hidden collection or a subscriber-only discount code. (Bonus if you already have a VIP or Loyalty list that is trained to look for early access.)

Best for: every brand with an email list, even a small one. It's the easiest win on this list.

How to choose (hint: pick two)

You don't need all five. Stacking too many offers confuses shoppers and makes your emails harder to write. Pick one main offer and one supporting offer:

Your BFCM timeline from here

1. Now through early November: choose your offers, add an early-access signup form, and start teasing on social.

2. Week before Thanksgiving (or earlier): build your BFCM collection page, update your homepage banner, and schedule your emails.

3. BFCM weekend (Nov 26–30): early access, launch, Cyber Monday, and a last-call email. Keep a countdown in your announcement bar.

4. December: thank-you and post-purchase emails to turn new buyers into repeat customers.

BFCM promotion FAQ

What is the best Black Friday promotion for a small Shopify store? Free shipping over a set order amount. Shoppers name it as their most-wanted holiday promotion, and it raises order size instead of cutting your price.

Is it too late to plan a Black Friday sale in late October? No. Three to four weeks is enough to choose an offer, update your homepage, and schedule five or six emails. Simple offers like free shipping or a free gift can be set up in Shopify in under an hour.

How many emails should I send for Black Friday? At least 5 five: a teaser, early access for subscribers, Black Friday launch, Cyber Monday, and a last call. Your abandoned cart and welcome flows should also be running before traffic picks up.

Should I discount my whole store on Black Friday? Not always. A free gift, bundle, or tiered discount often protects your margin better than a flat sitewide discount, while still giving shoppers a reason to buy now.

Want help getting it done?

If you know what you want to offer but don't have time to build it, that's exactly what my BFCM Glow Up is for. I'll plan and design your BFCM email campaign in Klaviyo, refresh your Shopify homepage and sale collection, or both, so you can focus on packing orders.

Spots are limited, and booking closes November 7.

See the BFCM Glow Up packages →