How to avoid the discount dilemma for long-term growth

"It’s not about abandoning discounts altogether — it’s about using them strategically and keeping your brand’s story front and center." -Mick McCarthy Chief Design Officer @ Bear A great read from a great leader. BFCM has it's place, but don't let it define your identity as a brand... Unless you sell socks and underwear then gimme that 40% code.

Thanksgiving shopping days represent one of the most profitable periods of the year for retailers. Spanning events such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, these days drive massive consumer spending across both online and offline channels. However, competition has grown fierce as more businesses fight for attention. Therefore, retailers must apply proven tactics that differentiate them, attract customers, and maximize revenue. #Cyber_Monday #Black_Friday #Retail #Retail_Tactics #Retail_Strategies #Holiday_Shopping #Retail_Marketing #Illumination_Consulting https://lnkd.in/g48-dGMA

Retail Tactics for Thanksgiving Shopping Days to Increase Sales Thanksgiving shopping days represent one of the most profitable periods of the year for retailers. Spanning events such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, these days drive massive consumer spending across both online and offline channels. However, competition has grown fierce as more businesses fight for attention. Therefore, retailers must apply proven tactics that differentiate them, attract customers, and maximize revenue. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eXsCeeAc Call: (800) 619-3734 #thanksgivingretail #blackfridaystrategy #holidaymarketing #retailsuccess #salesgrowth #IlluminationConsulting

We're not going to bore you with Black Friday this, Cyber Monday that, you already know how important BFCM can be for your business! That's why we've put together a compilation of strategies & quick tips that you might want to consider heading into this year's busiest sales period 🛍️ What you’ll learn: 🎯 How to set category & SKU‑level profit targets before you cut a single discount. 👕 How to align inventory forecasts with ad budgets and promotions, avoiding stockouts and costly overstock. 📊 Why measuring quality traffic > volume traffic, and what metrics actually matter during peak. 💰 How your post‑peak strategy affects long‑term retention, not just weekend revenue. Get stuck in and we hope there are a few nuggets of wisdom that help you achieve a record-breaking Black Friday! 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dihWcnMz #ecommerce #BlackFriday #BFCM #profitability #analytics

If you're waiting for Black Friday, you're already losing the race 👀 The BFCM window is no longer a single day—it's a 30-day engagement marathon. Relying solely on paid ads during Cyber Week is financially unsustainable due to rising Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC). You need a cheat code: Gamified Streaks. Tap directly into the psychology of Loss Aversion and Habit Formation and turn passive browsers into active, daily planners. When a customer starts a streak, they become psychologically invested in your brand before the first discount even drops. This isn't just theory: Companies using gamified loyalty programs see a measurable increase in customer retention and engagement. We're building valuable habits, not just fleeting transactions. Read our full playbook on how Streaks can transform your Black Friday! Find the link in the comments👇 #BFCM #BlackFriday #Gamification #eCommerce #CustomerLoyalty #Gameball

Your customers don't care about your product during BFCM. They care about the next shiny thing. Top DTC brands know this. That's why their BFCM strategy looks like this: - New offer for every single event - Stack offers to escalate urgency - Repackage the same deal using direct response frameworks Black Friday isn't just one day anymore. It's: → Early access (Nov 15-25) → Black Friday (Nov 26-30) → Small Business Saturday (Nov 29) → Cyber Monday (Dec 1-5) Each event gets a fresh angle. Same product. Different wrapper. Because attention spans are short. And novelty sells. If you're running the same offer for 10 days straight? You're leaving money on the table. Your customers need a reason to buy TODAY. Not tomorrow. Not next week. The brands winning this year understand one thing: People don't buy because they need something. They buy because something feels NEW. Are you giving them enough reasons to click buy?

Is Black Friday / Cyber Monday only about hefty discounts? Not quite. For growth-focused brands, Black Friday is more than a race to the bottom – it’s an opportunity to acquire new customers while buyer intent is at its peak. Slashing prices at the last minute isn’t a strategy. But planning ahead with an awareness campaign could be your biggest advantage, helping you drive customer acquisition at a lower cost. Read Conor’s thoughts on how to approach Black Friday / Cyber Monday strategically and turn the season into a smart acquisition moment: https://hubs.li/Q03Q-9jd0 #BlackFridayCyberMonday #RetailMarketing #AcquisitionStrategy #BFCM

Black Friday isn’t a campaign. It’s a stress test. For DTC brands, BFCM isn’t just a weekend, it’s the moment that reveals how ready your store really is to grow. The brands that win every year don’t rely on luck or discounts. They rely on structure, preparation, and calm execution. We gathered everything we’ve learned into one guide: The Brancoy Black Friday & Cyber Monday Playbook It covers how to: ▫️Build a BFCM strategy that supports year-round growth ▫️Optimize your store and data before the traffic spike ▫️Automate marketing and drive conversions under pressure ▫️Keep momentum after the campaign ends This isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset. Move once. Optimize continuously. Download the playbook throug the link in the comments!

Black Friday may look different these days, but one thing hasn’t changed: consumers still set the pace. In our latest blog, Kelli Anstine, President of Bernstein-Rein, explores how the holiday shopping season has evolved from a single day to “Cyber Ten,” and what’s next as technology continues to shape how we buy, browse, and budget. Read about the history and future of Black Friday: https://lnkd.in/gmcCn7sn #BlackFriday #CyberTen #ConsumerInsights #Retailigent #GrowBetter #AdvertisingAgency #BernsteinRein #BR

Remember when Black Friday was just… Friday? When I started in marketing, the rush began at dawn one day. Then it became Black Friday + Cyber Monday weekend. Then “Cyber 5.” Then “Cyber 12.” Now, I start seeing Black Friday ads on October 1st. At this rate, we’ll be running “early access” promos right after Labor Day. The truth is, the line between “holiday shopping season” and “year-round sale season” keeps getting blurrier. While it’s tempting to start early, early promos can backfire, training your customers to wait for discounts instead of buying at full price. The real question for marketers isn’t how early can we start, but how early should we start? Brands that win tend to do two things well: 1. Use October for list growth, testing, and engagement to drive demand 2. Make peak offers feel truly exclusive when they drop, to capture the demand they built earlier Because if every day feels like Black Friday, no day does. But if nobody knows about you before Black Friday Sales begin, you'll get lost in the shuffle.