Black Friday Cyber Monday is the Super Bowl of ecommerce. It is the single biggest revenue opportunity of the year for most Shopify stores, and the difference between a record-breaking event and a disappointing one comes down to one thing: preparation. The brands that start planning 90 days out consistently outperform those that scramble to put something together in November.
What’s in This Article
Australian consumers spent over $6.3 billion during the 2024 BFCM period, with online sales growing 22% year-over-year. Shoppers are primed, wallets are open, and competition for attention is fierce. You cannot wing it and expect results. You need a structured plan that covers inventory, offers, creative, email sequences, ad campaigns, and website preparation.
This is the complete 90-day BFCM planning timeline that we use inside the eCommerce Circle. It breaks the preparation into manageable phases so nothing falls through the cracks and you launch with confidence.
Phase 1: Strategy and Planning (90-60 Days Out)
The first phase is about making the big decisions before you build anything. Start by reviewing last year’s BFCM performance (if applicable): what sold, what did not, which channels drove revenue, what your average discount was, and where you ran into problems. This historical data is your planning foundation.
Set your revenue target. A reasonable BFCM target for an established store is 3-5x your average weekly revenue for the BFCM week. For a growing store, aim for 30-50% more than last year’s BFCM. Be specific — “$185,000 in total revenue from Thursday to Monday” is a target. “Do really well on Black Friday” is a wish.
Design your offer strategy. This is the most important strategic decision of the entire event. The most effective BFCM offer structures use tiered discounting rather than a flat sitewide percentage:
- Hero deals (2-3 products at 30-40% off). These are your attention grabbers — your bestselling products at genuinely compelling prices. They drive traffic and create urgency. Choose products with healthy margins that can absorb the discount.
- Sitewide offer (15-25% off). This is your core offer for the entire range. 20% is the sweet spot for most brands — compelling enough to drive action without destroying margins.
- Bundle deals. Create BFCM-exclusive bundles that offer an effective discount of 25-30% while increasing AOV by 40%+. Bundles are margin-friendlier than straight discounts because customers buy more.
- Gift-with-purchase threshold. “Spend $150+ and receive a free [product worth $30]” drives AOV up to your threshold without discounting your range. The GWP costs you $8-12 but generates $30-50 in incremental AOV.
- VIP early access. Give your email VIPs and loyalty members access 24-48 hours before the general public. Higher conversion rates, lower ad costs, and your best customers feel valued.
Lock in your inventory orders. This is non-negotiable — if you wait until October to order BFCM stock, you risk stockouts on your bestsellers during your biggest week. Place orders by the end of September at the absolute latest.
Phase 2: Preparation and Build (60-30 Days Out)
With strategy locked, this phase is about building everything you need: creative assets, email sequences, ad campaigns, and landing pages.
Build your email sequences first. You need at minimum: a VIP early access email (sends 48 hours before public launch), a launch announcement email, a “bestsellers selling fast” email on Saturday, a “last chance” email on Monday morning, and a final hours email on Monday evening. Each email should have a clear focus and escalating urgency.
Create your ad creative. You need multiple ad formats: video ads showing your hero deals, static images with clear offer callouts, carousel ads featuring your best bundles, and UGC-style content from customers. Plan for creative fatigue — BFCM runs across 5+ days, and you will need to refresh creative mid-event. Build at least 2-3x more creative than you think you need.
Build a dedicated BFCM landing page on your Shopify store. This page should showcase your offer structure, feature hero deals prominently, display countdown timers, and link to your BFCM collections. This page becomes the destination for all your ad traffic and email links.
Stress-test your website. Run a speed test and fix any performance issues. Check your checkout flow end-to-end. Make sure your discount codes work correctly. Test your email rendering across devices. The week of BFCM is not the time to discover technical problems.
Phase 3: Pre-Launch and Launch (30-0 Days Out)
The final month is about building anticipation, testing everything, and executing with precision. In the first two weeks, focus on audience building: grow your email list aggressively with a “Get early access to our BFCM deals” opt-in. Every subscriber you add before BFCM is a potential sale during the event. Run lead generation ads specifically for BFCM sign-ups — these subscribers are high intent.
Send a teaser campaign one week before launch. “Something big is coming” with a countdown timer builds anticipation and primes your audience. Do not reveal your full offer — just enough to create excitement and ensure people are watching their inbox.
Launch VIP early access 24-48 hours before public launch. This serves multiple purposes: it rewards your best customers, it generates early revenue and social proof, and it lets you identify any technical issues before the main rush. VIP early access typically converts at 2-3x the rate of the public launch because the audience is pre-qualified.
On launch day, activate everything simultaneously: email blast, ad campaigns, social media posts, SMS blast, and website takeover. The first 6 hours of Black Friday are critical — this is when shoppers have the most energy and urgency. Front-load your best offers and strongest creative.
Real-Time Optimisation During BFCM Weekend
BFCM is not a “set and forget” event. The brands that maximise revenue are the ones monitoring performance in real-time and making adjustments throughout the weekend.
Check your dashboard every 2-3 hours during BFCM. Look at: revenue vs target, channel performance (shift budget to what is working), ad creative performance (pause underperformers, scale winners), email open and click rates, and website speed (traffic spikes can slow things down).
Have contingency creative ready. If your primary ad creative fatigues by Saturday (which it likely will), swap in fresh creative. If a particular product is selling out faster than expected, shift messaging to your next best offer. If a channel is underperforming, reallocate budget to what is working.
Cyber Monday needs its own push. Many brands exhaust their energy on Black Friday and let Cyber Monday coast. This is a mistake — Cyber Monday often generates 30-40% of total BFCM revenue. Send a dedicated Cyber Monday email with fresh messaging (“Missed Black Friday? Cyber Monday deals are live”), and consider extending or refreshing your offers specifically for Monday.
The Compound Effect of BFCM Excellence
A well-executed BFCM does far more than generate one week of revenue. The customer acquisition during BFCM is massive — these are customers who now know your brand, have experienced your product, and are in your email ecosystem. Converting BFCM buyers into repeat customers over the following 90 days is where the real long-term value lives.
One eCommerce Circle member followed this 90-day framework and grew their BFCM revenue from $128K to $185K year-over-year — a 45% increase. More importantly, 38% of their BFCM new customers made a second purchase within 90 days, generating an additional $42K in post-BFCM revenue. The event was not just a spike — it was a growth catalyst.
BFCM planning is one of the most intensive coaching periods inside the eCommerce Circle. We start preparing members 90 days out with offer strategy workshops, creative reviews, and campaign build sessions. If your last BFCM was chaotic and underperformed, or if this will be your first, we can help you plan and execute with confidence. Let us start the conversation early — the 90-day countdown starts sooner than you think.
