5 - Understanding the Consumer during Black Friday

Q4 2026 WORKSHOP - DAY 1

Understanding the Consumer during Black Friday

1. BFCM Consumer Behavior
2. Pre-BFCM: Checklist
   Research happens before purchase
3. BFCM: Card-in-Hand Sniper
   I know I want to buy, but why this one?
4. BOF Massification

BFCM Consumer Behavior

1. October 15th to November 15th:
   Discover, research, compare, save, wait
2. Highest purchase intent moment of the year
   Card-in-hand ready to buy stuff
3. Willingness to spend a lot of money
   Not necessarily cheap customers,
   If you see the average Shopify AOV it’s $114 on BFCM
4. Buying for Christmas
   I’ll just get the gifts now at the best possible price and this way I don’t need to rush during December
5. Contextual Buying
   Skiing, winter trips, Christmas decorations, …

Consumer Triggers we must use:

1. Scarcity and Urgency:

Time-limited offers or messages like “only X left in stock” make people feel the need to buy before it’s too late.

2. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out):  

Create FOMO by having messages like “the biggest discount of the year” and also by having messages like “33 people already bought this today” or “54 users have this product in their shopping cart”

3. Social Proof (same as above):  

This has a double effect: if everyone is buying it, I’m not afraid to buy too. But it also triggers FOMO, as you feel like the only one not invited to the party.

BFCM changes the consumer funnel.

Before BFCM, users build demand and save products in a list.

During BFCM, millions of consumers suddenly become high-intent buyers.

Pre-BFCM: The BFCM Consumer Shopping List
Research happens before purchase.

It’s basically “product discovery” from October 15th to November 20th.

How do we get on the consumer shopping list?

1. Cheap visibility
   We need to be seen by millions of people before BFCM
2. Create desire before discount
   Aspirational, styling, problem/solution, product discovery, creator content, reviews, comparisons, “spotted in,” bestsellers…

We want to sell the product, and then during BFCM we sell the decision.

BFCM: Card-in-Hand Sniper
I know I want to buy, but why this one?

Normal marketing: Problem → Desire → Solution → Product
BFCM marketing: Product → Why this one? → Proof → Offer → Urgency

“4.8★ from 12,000+ customers. Our #1 moisturizer. 30% off until Monday.”

“If I could only buy ONE thing this Black Friday…”

Very direct marketing !!

BOF Massification

The ready-to-buy audience during BFCM will be huge.

So just remember, you don’t need to market problem desire complex landing pages justifications…

• What do you offer
• Why they should buy
• What’s the offer
• Social proof
• Urgency

“If you have dry skin, this is the one product you should buy this Black Friday. 24-hour hydration without the greasy feeling. It’s our #1 bestselling moisturizer and right now it’s at 30% off. Over 8,000 five-star reviews. Black Friday ends Monday. Shop now.”