Last year, Shopify merchants hit a record of $11.5 billion in sales over the Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend, up 24% from previous year. 

I’m Martin Harper, Co-Founder of Quickfire Digital, and I’ve seen firsthand that the brands that win aren’t the ones with the biggest discounts. They’re the ones who know exactly who they’re talking to and execute with precision.

In this article, I’ll give you some quick tips for getting the most out of Black Friday on your Shopify store. 

And remember: if you’re working with an external agency, it’s important to brief them early. This will give them ample time for testing, implementation and adjustments. 

5 best practices to win at BFCM

1. Use your customer data 

If you’re not using customer data this Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM), then you’re not just missing out now, but for every campaign that follows. 

So we recommend you start with the data you already have. 

Before you plan a single promotion or schedule that first teaser email, dig into last year’s BFCM data. Ask yourself:

• What sold? 
• When did people buy? 
• Which channels converted? 

Shopify analytics, Klaviyo, or other third-party tools can help you analyse performance. 

What’s more, BFCM is not just a sales opportunity, it’s a chance to learn more about your customers. Every person who visits your site, signs up to your mailing list, or makes a purchase is giving valuable insight. You should be:

• Capturing email addresses at every touchpoint (popups, checkout, embedded forms). 
• Tracking first-time purchases to identify new customers brought in by your BFCM campaigns. 
• Segment users who sign up or purchase during this period so you can tailor messaging and analyse lifetime value (LTV) later. 

This data is critical for post-sale nurturing and future campaigns by building highly targeted flows post BFCM.

2. Use advanced discounting tools

Segmentation is critical for winning BFCM. The good news? Shopify has the tools to help you make it happen.

Start with Shopify’s customer tagging and the new Customer Eligibility for Automatic Discounts feature to build actionable segments like:

• VIP repeat buyers
• First-time visitors
• High cart abandoners
• Loyalty program members

This new update gives you more control and precision over receiving promotional pricing. During BFCM, you need to protect your margins while driving volume, segment-specific automatic discounts allows you to strike that balance.  

If you need more advanced functionality, you can explore third-party apps like Supereasy, Discount Kit, and Discount Ninja. And if you’re on Shopify Plus, a partner such as Quickfire can configure these rules to run flawlessly under high traffic, preventing issues like discount stacking or customer eligibility glitches.

3. Personalise creatives by segment

Generic visuals and vague copy won’t cut it during this competitive period. Plus 71% of consumers now expect companies to deliver personalised communications and products. 

If you’re segmenting your audience (which you should be), then your creative and messaging should follow suit. 

Here are some tips on the type of content you should be creating for each: 

• VIPs - Hit them with exclusive access graphics, early access countdowns, or ‘Private Sale’ visuals that feel premium and limited. 
• New customers - Lean on trust builders like UGC, testimonials, reviews, and social proof. Buyers need reassurance, not pressure. 
• Returning customers - Serve up highly relevant cross-sells or complementary products they haven’t bought yet. 

Bonus tip: Use a visual content management tool like Dash to tag and organise assets by segment, region, or channel. This way, you can quickly match the right creative to the right audience across email, SMS, ads, and PDPs. And when it’s time to download, you can crop and resize your visuals for each channel in just a few clicks.

4. Don’t overcomplicate early access campaigns

Be cautious with overly complex early-access strategies.

“Exclusive access” sounds exciting, but in practice? Setups like personalised URLs, staggered pricing, or time-based access tiers often slow you down, break under pressure, and rarely deliver better results.

And what if someone forwards their ‘exclusive’ link to a friend? That’s not a problem—it’s a win. The whole point of early access is to generate sales and excitement. If more people are buying sooner, the strategy is working.

During BFCM you’re already competing in a high-stakes, fast-paced sales window. Don’t overengineer exclusivity—keep the focus on driving sales.

Here’s a smarter move:

• Keep early access simple (a well-timed email to VIPs is plenty).
• Focus on making sure your offer is strong, your site is fast, and your checkout is frictionless.
• BFCM is all about momentum. Don’t let unnecessary complexity slow you down.

5. Prioritise efficiency

BFCM tests your operational efficiency. The brands that thrive aren’t always the loudest, they’re the ones who can react fast and execute under pressure. 

The reality? Every extra click, every “where’s that file” moment, every duplicated effort costs you sales during the most competitive shopping window of the year. 

With Dash, searching and organising your content is fast. Forget spending ages trawling through Google Drive and email threads. Instead, use Dash to organise, tag and search your content using quick keyword searches. You can: 

• Find the right asset instantly – Use natural language search (“woman sitting outside drinking coffee”) and get the exact image you need, without guessing file names.

• Stay on-brand effortlessly – Narrow down results with brand-specific tags so your team only sees approved, relevant content.

• Share content seamlessly – Send retailers, partners, and PR teams direct access to brand-approved assets so they can promote your products without slowing you down.

How brands can stay ahead during BFCM

Black Friday Cyber Monday is going to be loud and competitive. But with the right data, smart segmentation, personalisation, and smooth operations, you can stand out without getting lost in the noise.

The brands that come out on top aren’t the ones throwing out the deepest discounts at the last minute. They’re the ones who planned ahead, know their audience, and keep things running smoothly.

Think of it this way: use last year’s insights, tap into Shopify’s new segmentation tools, keep early access simple, and let Dash take the stress out of managing all your creative. That’s how you keep momentum—and keep sales rolling in.

Don’t just get through BFCM. Own it.

👉 Chat to Quickfire today to get your Shopify Plus store ready for the big weekend.

And make sure to give Dash a go. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) and start managing your Black Friday creative with ease.