Don’t Make The Same Mistakes This BFCM

8 common mistakes to avoid if you want this year to be a success.

Author

Pietro Saccomani
October 23, 2025

Traffic and excitement are higher than any other time of the year, but so is competition.

So is the amount of profit you leave on the table if you’re not dialed in. And every year, even established brands make the same mistakes.

Not the obvious mistakes — your site crashes, your checkout is broken, not enough CX coverage, you run out of stock.

I’m not talking about these mistakes, because it goes without saying that you should make sure everything works during the busiest weekend of the year.

But what I want to talk about are the strategic mistakes that are gonna be made.

These aren’t the big mistakes that get someone fired (or severely chewed out).

They’re the high-level mistakes that quietly leak profit, and kill the momentum you could take from BFCM.

These mistakes will be made.

But they won’t be made by you.

Here are the top mistakes you’ll see this year — and exactly how to avoid them.

#1: Leaving Planning to the Last Minute

If you’re still writing subject lines or setting up automations in November, you’re already behind.

BFCM campaigns take time to test and schedule, and last-minute changes usually lead to mistakes, broken flows, or missed opportunities.

By the time the rush hits, you should already be in execution mode, not planning mode.

Do this instead:

  • Finalize your campaigns and creative by early November.

  • Schedule emails, SMS, and push notifications well ahead of time.

  • Use the week before BFCM to test, monitor, and fine-tune, not to build from scratch.

The best BFCM campaigns are calm and ready, not rushed and reactive.

#2: Treating BFCM as a Four-Day Window

Too many brands only start talking about BFCM on Black Friday, and stop once Cyber Monday ends.

That’s a mistake.

Your customers start shopping earlier every year, and by the time the weekend hits, their inboxes are already overflowing. If you only show up then, you’re competing in the noisiest part of the season.

Do this instead:

  • Start building hype early. Tease your sale or give loyal customers early access the week before.

  • Keep the momentum going after Cyber Monday with extended or “encore” offers.

  • Don’t forget about Q5 — the period from Dec 26 to Jan 10. Competition drops, but people are still in spending mode.

Think beyond the weekend. The best results come from owning the before and after, not just the middle.

#3: Making Your Offers Too Complex

If customers have to think about how your discount works, it’s too complicated.

You have limited control over your customers’ attention at the best of times; least of all, during BFCM.

You might have an idea for a creative tiered discount promo that you think will drive higher AOV, or clever bundles that stand out.

But every extra step, every extra second the customer has to spend thinking about what they’re getting, is a chance to lose the sale.

Not to say creative promos don’t work. The majority of the time, though, simple wins.

Do this instead:

  • Take a step back and make sure your offer is instantly clear.

  • If you’re using multiple tiers or bundles, communicate them visually or with examples.

  • Avoid unnecessary friction. The easier it is to understand, the faster people convert.

Clarity beats cleverness. A great offer should make sense at a glance.

#4: Running Big Discounts Without a Clear Goal

Too many brands slash prices during BFCM just because everyone else is doing it. Or because it’s what they think they’re supposed to do.

That might boost short-term revenue, but like I discussed last week, there should always be a reason for your discounts.

Discounting to get people in the door (and sell at higher margins in the future), discounting to engineer good buying habits, discounting to drive cash flow & reinvest.

If you’re just aiming for plain sales volume, you’re slashing margins for no real benefit.

Do this instead:

  • Know why you’re discounting — to clear inventory, acquire new customers, or reward loyal ones.

  • Set clear success metrics before launch (AOV, repeat purchase rate, app installs, etc.).

  • Have a plan to re-engage new buyers after the sale — through loyalty offers, post-purchase flows, or app push campaigns.

Don’t discount just to join the crowd. Every promo should serve a purpose.

#5: Treating New Customers Better Than Your VIPs

It’s easy to get caught up in chasing new customers during BFCM, but doing it at the expense of your loyal ones is a big mistake.

Your VIPs are the ones who buy regularly, spend more, and talk about your brand. If they see better deals going to first-time buyers, it can feel like a slap in the face.

Do this instead:

  • Make your loyal customers feel valued, by giving them better offers, early access to your deals or exclusive bundles or perks.

  • Communicate differently with them — don’t lump everyone into the same email list.

  • Use BFCM as a moment to reward loyalty, not just acquire new shoppers.

Craft offers that reward your loyal customers. They’ll pay it back throughout the year.

#6: Over-Relying on Email

Email is still one of the best-performing channels during BFCM, but it’s also the most crowded.

Everyone is running promotions, and inboxes are overflowing. Even great emails can get lost in the noise.

Don’t cut it, by any means, but if your success is reliant on 50% open rates, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

Do this instead:

  • Keep using email, but don’t rely on it alone.

  • Mix in SMS for urgency and push notifications for instant visibility.

  • If you have a mobile app, use it — push notifications perform 3–5x better than email during BFCM.

Email is essential, but it’s not enough. The brands that stand out use multiple channels to reach their customers where they actually are.

#7: Letting Abandoned Carts Slip Away

Cart abandonment is always high, and during BFCM, it’s going to be even worse. With so many competing offers, customers are easily distracted or waiting to see if a better deal pops up.

If you don’t have strong recovery systems in place, you’ll lose a big chunk of potential sales.

Do this instead:

  • Make sure your abandoned cart flows are active and tested.

  • Send reminders quickly; within an hour, not a day later.

  • If you have an app, use push notifications alongside email and SMS. They’re instant, can include images, and convert much higher on mobile.

Customers are going to be distracted, carts are going to be abandoned. Make it a priority to recover these carts before they slip away.

#8: Ignoring the Post-Purchase Moment

For most brands, the sale ends when the order is placed. That’s a missed opportunity.

BFCM brings in a flood of new customers. But those customers also bought from 10 other brands, and you’re at risk of being forgotten.

If you don’t follow up, most will disappear — and you’ll end up paying to reacquire them later.

Do this instead:

  • Treat the post-purchase moment as the start of a relationship.

  • Send thank-you messages, product tips, or exclusive follow-up offers.

  • Encourage app installs or loyalty sign-ups so you can reach them directly later.

With all the noise, you’ve got to work harder to keep BFCM buyers. Don’t let the relationship fade — keep the conversation going.

Key Takeaway

BFCM isn’t just a weekend. It’s a test of how well your systems, messaging, and customer relationships hold up under pressure.

The brands that win don’t always have the biggest discounts or flashiest campaigns. They’re the ones that plan early, communicate clearly, and think beyond the sale.

Treat BFCM as more than a revenue spike. Use it to strengthen loyalty, grow your owned channels, and set up the next six months to be successful.

On the Pod

This week on our podcast, we hosted Ben Zettler from Zettler Digital. He shared his insights and experience from 12 Black Fridays — what your timeline should look like, how to build intent before November, and how to reduce friction for your customers.

There’s a ton of value here, delivered at just the right time. Check it out below:

We had a number of awesome guests lately; as well as Ben, we had chats with several leaders at brands we’ve worked with, all of whom are crushing it with retention and sustainable growth strategies.

You can find all the episodes here — always free, always useful.

Quick Hits

How Americans Shop During BFCM

A new report shows what American shoppers think about BFCM and other mega sales events.

An interesting takeaway is that 36% of shoppers are less interested in mega sales events than they were a year ago — while only 12% say they’re more interested.

Of those people, 63% say it’s because they feel discounts are misleading. 42% say that there are poor quality items on offer, and 37% feel the novelty of events like BFCM has worn off.

The report also shows a relatively low level of trust in AI, with less than 1/5th of shoppers fully trusting AI to support their holiday shopping.

Liquid Death on Unit Economics (and Brand PR)

The brand that revolutionized commercial drinking water should know a thing or two about unit economics; and the founder gives a quick crash course in this post.

(the discussion has since devolved into some spicy drama, too)

Check Your AI-Generated Ads Before Publishing

Little embarrassing — this brand went live with ads bearing the trademark broken text from AI image generators.

Interesting thing is, the Head of Marketing from the brand replied in the comments; apparently the issue came from Meta’s auto-generated ad enhancements. Worth checking if you’re using the same thing for your ads.

Walmart Jumps on the ChatGPT Bandwagon

After Etsy and Shopify became the first two big names to partner up with ChatGPT for their Instant Checkout feature, Walmart too has now joined the party. Shoppers will soon be able to link their Walmart and Sam’s Club accounts in ChatGPT, to buy directly from AI search results.

Is YouTube About to be a Bigger Factor for DTC Brands?

Modern Retail suggests it will. They quote Connor MacDonald, Ridge’s CMO, who says that YouTube was a big priority for 2025 (and the brand has since increased their YouTube spend by 200%).

I can see it — YouTube ads are impossible to ignore (unless you buy YouTube premium, which no one I know has), and they stick a lot harder than ads on other social media channels. Plus, I see YouTube becoming a bigger factor in online marketing overall, as the web gets flooded by AI and video becomes one of the most difficult mediums to automate at scale.

That’s all for now.

I’ll be back in touch next week, with more on how successful brands are doing CX and retention right.

If there’s any topic you’d like to see us dive into, for either the newsletter or the podcast, just shoot me a message here.

Until next time,

Pietro and The Retention Edge Team

PS: want to boost retention, revenue and profitability? If so, launching your own app could be the best move you make this year.

See how: go to our website to get a preview of your app for free, or shoot me a DM on LinkedIn to talk about it.