Black Friday vs Cyber Monday: How to Drive Ecommerce Sales

With the rise of back-to-back sales events, it’s fair to wonder if Black Friday and Cyber Monday are starting to blend. Aren’t all these shopping days becoming the same? And why does it matter which one you focus on? The truth is, while they may seem similar at a glance, Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain two of the most significant and distinct events in the retail calendar and each offers unique opportunities for ecommerce brands to drive sales, attract new customers, and boost visibility at the start of the holiday shopping season.

Black Friday’s doorbuster deals and in-store excitement attract early-bird bargain hunters, while Cyber Monday capitalizes on the convenience of online shopping, drawing a tech-savvy audience hunting for exclusive online discounts. These events have gained international popularity, with retailers worldwide offering steep discounts, making it essential for brands—both new and established—to prepare early and promote effectively. By tapping into the unique strengths of each event, businesses can increase visibility, attract a wider audience, and drive substantial revenue gains.

• In 2023, Cyber Monday sales in the U.S. reached a record $12.4 billion, making it the biggest online shopping day of the year.
• 84% of consumers identified free shipping as a decisive factor in their online purchasing decisions during Black Friday.
• During the 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, the average shopper spent $875, up from $833 in 2022.

While both events offer immense growth potential, they cater to slightly different shopping behaviors and consumer mindsets. This article dives into the nuances of both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, highlighting why these events still matter and how understanding their differences can help brands optimize marketing strategies for maximum impact.

Why Participate in Black Friday vs Cyber Monday?

With millions of shoppers on the hunt for deals, participating in these events provides a competitive advantage that goes beyond the immediate revenue boost. It offers an opportunity to strengthen customer acquisition, enhance brand recognition, and sustain shopping momentum throughout the season. Here's a closer look at the unique advantages of both events for ecommerce success.

Black Friday

• Sales Potential: Black Friday marks the start of the holiday season, with millions of shoppers looking for deals. For brands, this surge in demand offers a huge opportunity to boost sales and clear inventory.
• Customer Acquisition: Black Friday draws in many new customers who might not usually shop with a brand. By offering attractive deals, ecommerce businesses can introduce themselves to a wider audience and potentially foster long-term relationships.
• Brand Awareness: Participating in Black Friday allows brands to stand out during one of the most talked-about retail events of the year. This can increase brand recognition and attract traffic to their sites, even after the event.

Cyber Monday

• Mobile and Desktop Traffic: With the rise of mobile shopping, Cyber Monday has become accessible to a broader audience, allowing brands to reach consumers who prefer shopping from their devices.
• Data-Driven Marketing: Since Cyber Monday follows Black Friday, brands can use insights from Black Friday to fine-tune their marketing strategies, focusing on popular products and adjusting ad spending for an even bigger push.
• Extended Shopping Momentum: Cyber Monday keeps the shopping momentum going, giving brands an extra day to drive sales and promote products that may not have sold out on Black Friday, maximizing holiday season revenue.

“Both events are incredibly important. For example, unlike Amazon, Target benefits from significant in-store traffic on Black Friday, with many shoppers also browsing the Target app while they shop. It's essential to be fully prepared for both events, offering competitive prices and an exceptional customer experience to capture this cross-channel traffic.” - Kevin Lamb, Director of Channel Management - Target

How to Prepare for Black Friday vs Cyber Monday

Successfully navigating the peak period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday requires strategic planning and a keen understanding of market dynamics. From ensuring adequate inventory to crafting targeted promotions, brands need to be well-prepared to stand out amidst intense competition. A thoughtful strategy can not only drive immediate sales but also enhance long-term brand credibility and customer loyalty.

Amazon Strategies

• Plan in Advance: Start preparations early to ensure you have ample inventory to support the surge in demand from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. Adequate stock levels are crucial, as running out of high-demand products could result in missed opportunities and dissatisfied customers. If you’re introducing a new model or product, make sure these items are launched well before the holiday rush to accumulate enough customer reviews and build credibility—timely feedback can significantly impact consumer trust and conversion rates during peak shopping periods.
• Strategize Discounts: Instead of applying blanket discounts across your entire catalog, tailor your approach by varying the discount percentages for different SKUs. High-demand items may not need as deep of a discount, while less popular products could benefit from steeper price cuts. Consider experimenting with the duration and timing of these offers to find what drives the best results. Bundle discounts are another smart strategy—pairing new or underperforming products with top sellers can encourage trial and adoption while maintaining profitability.
• Exclusive Offerings: Consider creating retailer-exclusive options like unique color variants or limited-edition bundles. These exclusive products can provide a fresh appeal and a clear differentiation point, helping to stand out in a crowded market. They also allow for more controlled pricing strategies in a heavily discounted environment, ensuring your brand maintains a strong value proposition.
• Marketplace Stability: Ensure your ecommerce operations are optimized before the holiday season begins. November and December are not the best times to roll out major changes or enroll in new marketplace programs, as these could introduce unnecessary risks. Focus on maintaining a healthy and stable marketplace account to avoid disruptions. Keeping consistent policies and minimizing change will reduce the likelihood of unexpected issues during peak traffic, allowing you to focus on delivering a seamless customer experience.

“Consumers are savvy deal hunters and often wait until Cyber Monday to make larger purchases in hopes of a better price. If a brand has sufficient inventory, participating in both events is crucial. For prestige and premium brands, these events offer an opportunity to reward customers with discounts without compromising the brand’s image or perceived value.” - Kelsie May, Director of Channel Management - Amazon

Target Strategies

• Listing Quality: Ensure that your most important listings are fully optimized to achieve the highest quality scores possible. Target’s algorithm considers factors like total listing score, the number of positive reviews, and competitive pricing when determining rankings. To improve visibility, focus on creating detailed, accurate product descriptions, high-quality images, and engaging titles. Aim to increase the number of customer reviews for your top items, as more positive feedback can significantly enhance your product’s ranking and conversion potential.
• Respond Promptly: Use tools like BazaarVoice to monitor and address customer inquiries on your listings. Providing timely and helpful responses not only keeps potential buyers on your product page but also highlights your brand’s commitment to customer service. This attentiveness can improve customer trust and reduce bounce rates, leading to higher conversion rates as customers feel more confident in making a purchase.
• Fine-tune logistics: Make sure your fulfillment settings are calibrated to offer the fastest delivery times you can reliably support. Target prioritizes products that can meet consumer expectations for quick delivery, especially during peak shopping periods. Streamlined logistics settings can improve your product’s visibility and appeal, as faster delivery options can be a deciding factor for many online shoppers. Ensure that your inventory is strategically located in warehouses close to key markets to optimize shipping times.

Walmart Strategies

• Best-in-Class Content: Aim to make your product listings stand out by investing in high-quality content. This includes detailed product descriptions, standout images, and compelling bullet points that clearly highlight features and benefits. Make sure to optimize content below the fold (the part of the page that requires scrolling), as Walmarts algorithm considers the completeness of the listing for ranking. A comprehensive product page can improve search visibility, increase click-through rates, and boost conversion.
• Ratings and Reviews: Ratings and reviews play a critical role in consumer decision-making, especially during peak shopping events. Focus on your key listings by using Walmart’s tools to accelerate review collection, such as the Review Accelerator program, or by leveraging third-party services that gather genuine customer feedback. Higher ratings and a greater number of reviews can enhance trust and significantly improve conversion rates, giving your products a competitive edge.
• Price Competitively: During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, competitive pricing is crucial. Monitor similar or identical products from your competitors to ensure that your prices are appealing to deal-hungry shoppers. Consider using Walmart's pricing tools to stay competitive and explore dynamic pricing strategies that can be adjusted in real time based on market trends. Striking the right balance between competitive pricing and maintaining margins will help keep your listings relevant across Walmart's marketplace.

How to Promote for Black Friday vs Cyber Monday

Each platform—Amazon, Target, and Walmart—has its specific promotional tools and tactics that can maximize impact. This next section explores effective strategies for leveraging promotional opportunities across these marketplaces, ensuring your products capture consumer attention and stay competitive during the peak holiday shopping season.

Amazon Promotions

To make the most of high-traffic shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it's crucial to manage your advertising budget strategically. Allocate funds throughout the year to ensure you have enough to stay competitive during these costly periods when ad expenses typically rise. Brands that plan ahead can maintain visibility, attracting deal-driven shoppers when it matters most.

Brands also want to focus on maintaining a high standard for product pages and storefronts. Conduct daily "walk-the-store" checks to verify that images, descriptions, and content are accurate and appealing. A well-prepared storefront creates a better shopping experience, increasing the likelihood of converting holiday traffic into sales.

Drive additional traffic by leveraging social media and referral programs. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook can help broaden your reach, while referral incentives encourage customers to share your brand, expanding visibility and boosting your profit margins during the holiday season.

Target Promotions

Submitting products for Target’s “Deal of the Day” promotions is a powerful way to gain visibility during the competitive holiday season. These promotions provide the highest exposure available to third-party sellers on Target’s platform, putting featured items directly in front of a large audience. This kind of exposure can help drive sales momentum not just for the featured products but also for your entire catalog as more customers explore what your brand has to offer.

While participating in these promotions, it's crucial to plan for increased advertising investment and allocate an additional budget to keep your products visible. Boosting ad budgets and bids ensures that your items appear in Target’s limited Sponsored Products slots, which are highly sought-after during peak shopping periods. Effective use of these ad placements can enhance product discoverability, making sure your listings stand out amidst the holiday rush.

Walmart Promotions

Work to maintain constant communication with the channel and fully capitalize on every available placement. Securing top placements during these events can significantly impact your year’s performance if executed effectively. Even if an item isn’t approved for inclusion in the event, pursuing alternative promotional opportunities can help maximize traffic.  

Marketing efforts are closely tied to promotions, so brands must have a comprehensive plan in place before, during, and after the event. Given the substantial number of items from hundreds of sellers, products can easily get lost in the shuffle, which is why targeted marketing is essential. Work with both internal teams and Walmart Connect to strategically invest in advertising during peak times, ensuring products are seen by the right customers and deliver the highest return on investment.

“Participating in both events will enhance your product visibility, strengthen your brand, and drive revenue. Walmart’s customer base is highly motivated by deals, so to increase your brand’s presence on the platform, it’s essential to speak their language by participating in as many events as possible. While there are valid reasons to focus on one event over another—such as inventory limitations or the potential impact on margins from continuously offering discounted prices—it’s important to leverage these opportunities to their fullest.” - Brooke Schulzkump, Channels Manager - Walmart

By strategically preparing, optimizing listings, and leveraging targeted promotions, brands can not only capture a share of the high traffic Black Friday and Cyber Monday generate but also establish a solid foundation for sustained success in the months that follow.  

Looking to set your brand up for success? Spreetail’s Channel Management and Promotions team is here to make it happen. We’ve helped brands like Hauck and Bear Mountain BBQ achieve over 1,000% GMV growth through effective event and promotion strategies. Want your brand to be next? Connect with our team of experts and unlock your brand’s full potential.

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