Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 are more competitive than ever before. In 2024, brands saw a 9% reduction in CAC due to more efficient ad spend. But in 2025, CACs are climbing due to higher ad costs and industry-wide saturation. 

If your growth relies on paid ads, you will soon feel that pressure. The challenge is to attract customers while protecting your margins. 

In this blog, I will walk you through practical steps. These steps help you manage rising costs and keep shoppers coming to your store.

After running a variety of loyalty programs, these are the essential steps to control your CAC. Before we jump into the guide, below are the key market shifts shaping this year’s season. 

The state of BFCM for Shopify in 2025.

How BFCM has evolved for Shopify merchants

BFCM has changed in recent years. First, the momentum has moved to mobile. Shopify data shows that more than 70% of BFCM purchases now occur on mobile devices. 

Second, BFCM has expanded far beyond a two-day surge. It has evolved into a multi-week season that spans from early November to Christmas Eve. 

Third, the real value of BFCM now comes from what happens after the sale. The focus has shifted from one-time buyers to repeat customers.

What this means for Shopify brands

This shift in the market momentum is reshaping how every Shopify merchant operates. Whether you are a big brand or a small business, these changes affect your brand all the same. 

Besides, customers now expect a fast and frictionless deal-hunting experience. Slow-loading pages and unclear layouts quickly drive away high-intent shoppers. This puts pressure on merchants to stay stable during peak traffic. 

In addition, customers' narrow focus often occurs when the buying window spans several weeks. This pulls them away from impulse buying and into a thoughtful evaluation process. For merchants, this means the challenge is no longer to offer a reasonable price.

One-time customers are less attractive than repeat customers who generate revenue. Especially, retaining customers is a pool with a lower CAC but a higher margin afterward.

The Shopify Guide 2025

1. Clarify your BFCM objectives. 

Before you change your offers or operations, have one clear goal to guide you. Focusing on a single point improves your decision-making. It also keeps your team away from low-value tasks.

Decorating your store or making an operating sheet can distract you. Instead of helping, they might distract you. When you have a clear goal, each step you take is more purposeful and effective.

To set a sharp aim, start by asking what outcome matters most for your store this season. Your direction might center on:

• Driving peak sales volume
• Increasing average order value
• Attracting customers with long-term value
• Protecting your profit margin based on your cost structure
• Reinforcing repeat purchases and loyalty

Each aim follows successful trends from Shopify Analytics. And, merchants with a narrow focus often do better. This is because they allocate resources more effectively and execute faster.

2. Define your brand’s constraints 

Defining your brand’s constraints during BFCM means knowing where you can operate. This helps you keep your identity. It lets you stay profitable and build customer trust during busy sales periods. Key constraints to consider include:

Brand positioning

Deep discounts are essential to the success of BFCM campaigns. But for luxury brands like jewelry brands, offering deep discounts cheapens their brand. You diversify by offering special perks or requesting sign-up to get discounts during BFCM as well. 

Inventory capacity

To avoid interrupting and frustrating customers, make sure to check the inventory capacity. The brand keeps customers happy by showing how many items are in stock. It also informs them when the store will restock items.

Customer expectation

Define customer expectations that you will not breach. These include shipping times, customer service, and return policies. When your order volume spikes, your store is hard to get frustrated with visitors. 

The profit margin

To maintain profit margins, define the types, depths, and timing of discounts. For example, the most considerable discount is about 20% to 25% to protect margins. Limit deep discounts to protect pricing and promote healthy buying habits.

Review past ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) from earlier BFCM campaigns. This helps plan your marketing and ad budgets. Spread the budget across channels like social media, search, email, and influencer partnerships. This helps optimize acquisition costs without overspending and balances campaign reach with profitability.

3. Build BFCM readiness baseline inside Shopify

Build a BFCM readiness baseline in Shopify that covers setup, operations, marketing, and handling traffic surges during rush hours. A solid baseline not only makes your store stand out but also works sustainably. Below are things you focus on: 

Analytics and tracking setup

Time plays a vital role. This key part helps you quickly spot changes in factors during the BFCM campaign. Control flood surges with planned adjustments. This enables you to keep your customers. 

Here are things for you:

Step 1: Use Shopify Analytics dashboards to check real-time performance during BFCM.
Step 2: Set custom reports for key metrics: sales, AOV, conversion rates, and top products.
Step 3: Establish benchmarks and alerts for any anomalous drops or spikes.
Step 4: Create specific BFCM tags for each channel, such as ads, discounts, and products. Use a format like "BFCM24_" to help with easy filtering and analysis.

Theme performance and technical health

BFCM 2024 demonstrates the excellence of the Shopify theme in balancing speed, conversion-focused features, and mobile readiness.

They are key to helping merchants capture record sales and provide top-notch user experiences despite unprecedented traffic volumes. To ensure your store runs smoothly, here are the things for you: 

Step 1: Check Loading Speed 

• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Shopify’s performance tools to check your theme speed
• Remove or disable unused apps, heavy scripts, custom fonts, and large images to improve loading speed

Step 2: Audit App Scripts and Storefront Apps

• Review installed apps for active scripts impacting performance.
• Deactivate apps not essential for BFCM or move their scripts to load asynchronously if possible.

Checkout and payments optimization

During surge hours in BFCM, checkout and payment methods are key. They turn shopping carts into revenue. These key things are below to check:

• Ensure Shop Pay and key payment methods are active
• Shipping profiles and free shipping thresholds tuned for BFCM
• Buy now, pay later options for higher ticket AOV, such as Klarna, After Pay, Shop Pay, etc.

Data safety and backup 

BFCM amplifies the risk of data errors and outages primarily due to the extreme surge in traffic, transactions, and operational complexity within a condensed timeframe. 

But for Shopify backups during BFCM, you have several options. These options protect your store’s data. This includes product listings, orders, customer info, and theme customization. 

When a mistake, app error, or import issue happens, you can restore your entire store with just one click with Rewind Backup. It offers: 

• Automatically backs up products, orders, customers, themes, pages, and settings
• Enables quick, selective restores in case of data loss or errors
• Supports version history and point-in-time recovery

4. Offer and pricing architecture for BFCM on Shopify

Your offer structure determines whether BFCM protects or destroys your margins. Throwing 50% off across your catalog generates volume but erodes profitability. Strategic pricing architecture maximizes revenue while maintaining healthy unit economics.

Map Your Product and Margin Profile

Start by understanding which products qualify for discounts and which don't. Pull margin data from your Shopify analytics. Calculate gross margin (revenue minus cost of goods) for each product or category. 

Segment your catalog into three tiers:

• Hero products: Your bestsellers with healthy margins (40%+). They can give discounts of 20-30% and still make a profit. This is true even when you consider customer acquisition costs.
• Bundle candidates: Complementary products that sell well together. Bundling a high-margin item with a lower-margin product helps maintain profit. It also boosts perceived value.
• Long-tail inventory: Slower-moving items or products with thin margins (<25%). Apply clearance pricing to clear out old stock, or you can leave them out of blanket discounts altogether.

Offer Types That Work Well on Shopify

Percentage discounts (10%, 20%, and 30%) are easy to use. They’re easy for customers to grasp. The risk is that high-margin and low-margin products receive the same discount. This could lead to losing money on items that can’t handle it.

• Fixed-value discounts ($10 off, $25 off): Better margin protection for lower-priced items. A $25 discount on a $200 item (12.5% off) preserves more margin than a 25% discount ($50 off). 
• Tiered cart promotions: Increase average order value while controlling discount depth. For example: "Spend $75, get 15% off; spend $150, get 25% off." This setup encourages bigger purchases. It also keeps larger discounts for high-value transactions that can handle them.
• Product bundles: Use apps like Fast Bundle to help you create fixed or custom bundles. This protects your margin by pairing high-margin items with lower-margin ones. A $120 bundle, valued at $150, gives customers a $30 savings. You have chosen products that keep a blended margin above 35%.

**Gifts with Buy:** Offer a free item when customers reach specific cart totals. Choose items that cost less to make but seem valuable.  

"Spend $100, get a free travel-size product (your cost: $3, perceived value: $15)." This protects margins better than straight discounts while increasing conversions.

Free shipping thresholds with progress indicators:

• Set thresholds slightly above your average order value
• This encourages customers to spend more
• Show progress to keep them engaged

If your AOV is $65, set free shipping at $75. Apps like Hextom display progress bars: "Add $12 more for free shipping!" This visual nudge increases add-on purchases by 18-22% without margin-destroying discounts.

Offer governance & Discount Stacking.

Without clear rules, customers exploit many promotions simultaneously. This destroys margins. Shopify's discount code system doesn’t let you stack discounts by default. But confusion can arise when you combine automatic discounts with code-based promotions.

Establish stacking rules:

• Discount codes cannot combine with other codes (Shopify enforces this automatically)
• Automatic discounts (triggered by cart conditions) can combine with codes
• Use Shopify's discount priority settings. This controls which discount applies when multiple could trigger

Example of dangerous stacking:

• Automatic discount: 20% off orders over $100
• Email code: CYBER25 for 25% off
• Result if both apply: 45% total discount (or 40% if sequential)

Safer structure:

• VIP early access: 25% off with code VIPCYBER (excludes all other discounts)
• Public Cyber Monday: 20% off automatically (codes disabled during this period)
• Free shipping: Always available, stacks with percentage discounts

You document everything in a BFCM offer sheet that contains:

• All discount codes and their rules
• Automatic discount triggers and conditions
• Start/end times for each promotion
• Which products are included/excluded
• Maximum discount per order (if applicable)
• Customer service script for handling discount questions

This prevents conflicting offers and gives customer service clear answers. Afterwards, you can check the post-event analysis data. 

5. Set up Storefront 

Many merchants focus on discounts but ignore the storefront experience that showcases them. On the BFCM campaign, your store faces tough competition. There are hundreds of other tabs open in your customers' browsers.

According to Shape, nearly 75% web’s credibility depends on the web design. Below, I have listed a few areas that need close attention. 

Home page 

Your BFCM hero area design section (the top area visitors see first) should show three things:

• What’s on sale
• How much they’ll save
• Where to start shopping

Vague messages like "Cyber Monday Sale" don't work. They blend in with the many other sales tabs people have open. Below is an effective hero messaging structure:

• Headline: Specific discount with clear scope ("30% Off Sitewide" or "Up to 50% Off Bestsellers")
• Subheadline: Urgency mechanism ("Today Only" or "Ends 11:59 PM Tonight")
• Visual CTA: Place a standout button labeled "Shop Now" or "Shop the Sale" in a visible spot.
• Trust signal: Free shipping on orders over $75 and free returns.

What doesn’t work:

• Generic hero images of products without sale messages.
• Many competing CTAs.
• Buried discount details that must be scrolled to find.

Baymard Institute's research shows that customers will not see full carousels. This happens because visitors often miss important information as the slides change. 

Navigation Optimization

Create a dedicated "Cyber Monday Deals" navigation item at the top-left level. Don't hide your sale in a dropdown menu or a footer link. Nielsen Norman Group found that left-side menu items get more clicks than right-side items.

Strategic collection structure:

• "Best Sellers" (builds social proof)
• "Under $50" (appeals to budget-conscious browsers)
• "Bundles" (pre-selected for fast decisions)
• "Gift Guide" (solves shopper intent directly)

Search Tuning 

Search Tuning enables full auto-completion and synonym handling. When someone types "sneakers," your search should also return "athletic shoes" and "trainers." 

Installing these apps, like Boost AI Search & Filter or Searchanise, provides this functionality. 

Dedicated BFCM Landing Pages

Make landing pages for each category to boost paid traffic, such as: 

• yourstore.com/cyber-monday-womens
• yourstore.com/cyber-monday-gifts

These focused pages convert 25-40% better than generic homepages. They do this by matching ad messaging to the target audience.

Each landing page should include:

• Reinforcement of the ad promise ("You clicked 'Women's Sale'—here it is")
• Filtered product grid showing only relevant items
• Repeated trust signals (free shipping, returns)
• No distracting navigation to other site areas

Mobile first considerations

Mobile screens display 60-70% less content above the fold than desktop monitors. What fits within a single desktop viewport requires 3-4 scrolls on an iPhone. This compression changes everything about the information hierarchy.

Can a mobile visitor grasp your offer and act on it without scrolling? No, they can not. Here are what appear to be the priorities of the mobile fold:

• Sale headline (greatest 6-8 words): "30% Off Sitewide" or "Cyber Monday: Up to 50% Off"
• Single CTA button (high contrast, 44px+ height): "Shop the Sale" or "Shop Now."
• One trust signal (7-10 words): "Free Shipping + Free Returns"

That's it. The three elements consume roughly 200-250 pixels in total.

6. Build Email Marketing Flow 

Email isn't for a Monday broadcast channel. It's a six-week relationship-building system. Merchants train subscribers for six weeks. The goal was to help them expect and engage with more frequent communication. Here is a six-week warm-up calendar:

Weeks 6-4 before BFCM (Oct 21-Nov 3):

• Current frequency: 1 email per
• New frequency: 1 email/week.
• Content strategy: Educational, not promotional. Gift guides for upcoming holidays, product styling tips, and customer story features.
• Expected outcome: Open rates usually fall by 3-5% at first.

Weeks 3-2 before BFCM (Nov 4-17):

• New frequency: 2-3 emails/week
• Content strategy: Preview teasers without revealing exact discounts. Start building VIP segmentation. Identify customers who have spent over $200 in the last 12 months. Also, include loyalty program members with 500 or more points.

Week 1 Before BFCM (Nov 18-24):

• New frequency: Daily emails, Monday-Saturday

Content strategy:

• Final countdown: "4 days until our biggest sale."
• Announce VIP early access.

BFCM Week (Nov 25 - Dec 2):

Monday frequency: 3–4 emails

• 6 AM: Send an email to all non-VIP subscribers. (VIPs got early access on Sunday.)
• 2 PM: Reminder for openers who haven't bought yet. Check out "bestsellers selling out" and stock alerts!
• 8 PM: "Last chance - 4 hours left" to all non-purchasers, with a countdown timer.

Tuesday-Wednesday: Send extension emails only to non-purchasers. Don't email Monday buyers, or they might think the urgency is fake.

7. Launching Loyalty Program for BFCM buyers

During promotional periods, customers who receive discounts often have a lower lifetime value than those who do not. But if you turn these buyers into loyal fans of your brand, they can create far more long-term value. 

A strong loyalty program helps you do this by driving repeat purchases, building solid relationships, and turning customers into free advocates.  Here is how to create a loyalty program with specific steps to quickly set it up successfully.

Conclusion:   

These steps give your store the foundation it needs to perform well during BFCM 2025. Winning this season is about making sure your onsite experience, loyalty program, and customer care work together. When your whole system is aligned, your store can handle pressure and convert more shoppers who visit. 

BFCM is the start of something bigger. The new shoppers you earn this BFCM can become long-term customers. Use the insights in this guide to lift your profit margin and build momentum for the months ahead. With a steady plan and the right tools, you are preparing for success.