Updated 30 October 2026 · EcommFusion
Black Friday falls on Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday on Monday 30 November 2026. For a small online store, those five days can be the busiest of the year, or a week of discounting that leaves you tired and no better off. The difference is almost always planning. This checklist works backwards from the big weekend, so you can start today and still be ready.
A week-by-week countdown
Four weeks is enough time if you do one block of work each week. If you are reading this later, squeeze the first two weeks together and skip anything that is not essential.
- Week of Mon 2 Nov: decide. Choose your offer (see the maths below), the products it covers, the start and end dates, and how much stock you can realistically ship. Write it down in one sentence, such as “20% off all candles, Friday to Monday, while stock lasts.”
- Week of Mon 9 Nov: build. Set up discount codes or automatic discounts, create a sale collection page, prepare banner images, and draft every email and social post. Order extra packaging now, not on the Thursday before.
- Week of Mon 16 Nov: test and warm up. Place real test orders on mobile and desktop, check every code, and tell your list that something is coming. Ask past customers what they would like to see. Their replies make good posts.
- Week of Mon 23 Nov: launch. Go live on Friday morning in your main time zone, send your launch email, then watch orders, stock and your inbox. Keep changes small: this is not the week to redesign the homepage.
- Cyber Monday and after: send the last-chance email, end the sale when you said you would, and switch on your after-sale follow-up.
Choose an offer you can afford
A discount comes straight out of your profit, not your price. Before you pick a number, run the maths on one real product. Here is a worked example with simple figures you can swap for your own.
Say you sell a product for $50. It costs you $20 to make or buy, $6 to pack and ship, and your payment fees are about 3% of the price.
- At full price: $50 − $20 − $6 − $1.50 in fees = $22.50 profit per order.
- At 20% off: 20% of $50 is $10, so the price is $40. Fees drop to $1.20. $40 − $20 − $6 − $1.20 = $12.80 profit per order.
So a 20% discount cuts your profit on each order from $22.50 to $12.80, which is a drop of more than 40%. To earn the same profit as 10 full-price orders ($225.00), you need 18 sale orders: 18 × $12.80 = $230.40, while 17 × $12.80 = $217.60, just short. Check it with your own numbers before you commit.
| Offer | Price paid | Profit per order | Orders to match 10 full-price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full price | $50.00 | $22.50 | 10 |
| 10% off | $45.00 | $17.65 | 13 |
| 20% off | $40.00 | $12.80 | 18 |
| Full price + free gift (costs you $3) | $50.00 | $19.50 | 12 |
The table shows why a smaller discount, or a free gift that costs you little, can be the calmer choice. Other offers that protect margin are a bundle (two items for less than buying separately), free shipping over a set order value, or a gift with purchase. Whatever you choose, keep the rules simple enough to explain in one line.
Site checks before you launch
Run through this list a week before, then again on the Thursday:
- Every discount code works, applies only to the right products, and has an end date.
- Checkout works on a phone, with every payment method you offer, from start to finish.
- Stock levels are accurate, and sold-out products say so clearly.
- Shipping cut-off dates for the holidays are on the product pages and in the cart.
- Your returns policy is easy to find and matches what you will actually do.
- Pages load quickly on mobile data. Compress large banner images.
- Your contact page and order confirmation email show a real way to reach you.
Emails to send
You do not need a dozen emails. Four or five, each with one job, are enough for most small stores:
- Early notice (a week before): what is coming, when, and that subscribers hear first.
- Launch (Friday morning): the offer, the dates, and a clear button to the sale page.
- Reminder (Saturday or Sunday): show your best sellers or a gift guide rather than repeating the launch.
- Cyber Monday: the offer is still on today, plus anything you have added.
- Last chance (Monday evening): a short note that the sale ends tonight, sent only if it really does.
Our Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Kit has ready-to-edit versions of these emails, along with social posts and a planning sheet, if you would rather not start from a blank page.
After the sale: follow up
The weekend is only half the value. New customers who bought on a discount will forget you by January unless you give them a reason to come back.
- Ship fast and tell them. A clear shipping update does more for trust than any marketing email.
- Say thank you. A short, plain note a few days after delivery, with care tips or ideas for using the product.
- Ask for a review once the product has had time to be used, usually one to two weeks after delivery.
- Write down what happened while you still remember: orders, profit, which emails got replies, what sold out, what you would change. Next year’s plan starts with this page.
Frequently asked questions
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday 2026 is on Friday 27 November 2026, and Cyber Monday is on Monday 30 November 2026. Many stores run their offer across the whole weekend, from Friday to Monday.
How much discount should a small store offer on Black Friday?
Only as much as your margin allows. Work out the profit on one order at full price and at the discount, then count how many extra orders you would need to earn the same. A smaller discount, a bundle or a free gift often protects profit better.
Is it too late to plan a Black Friday sale?
Usually not. If you have less than four weeks, choose one simple offer, test checkout and your discount codes, and send three or four clear emails. Skip anything that is not essential.