Quick answer: Before you pick a discount, work out your profit per product after the discount, shipping, payment fees and any ad cost. Choose simple offers (a modest sitewide discount, free shipping over a threshold, or a bundle) rather than deep cuts on everything, set limits, and remember that Black Friday is November 27, 2026, with Cyber Monday on November 30. Revenue is vanity; profit is what you keep.
Every year, small stores run 30% off everything, sell a lot of units and discover in January that they made almost nothing. Here's how to avoid being one of them.
Step 1: Know your real margin
For each important product, calculate:
Profit = price − product cost − shipping cost − payment fees − packaging − (ad cost per sale)
Example: a $40 candle costs you $14 to make, $6 to ship, $1.46 in card fees and $1 in packaging. Your profit is about $17.54, or 44% of the price. A 20% discount ($8) leaves $9.54. A 30% discount ($12) leaves $5.54. That's the difference between a good day and a busy, unprofitable one.
Do this for your top 10 products. Write the "floor price" for each, the lowest price at which you still earn something worthwhile.
Step 2: Pick the offer type that fits your margins
- Percentage off sitewide. Simple, but it hits your best margins and your worst ones equally. Fine if all margins are healthy.
- Tiered discounts ("Spend $75, save 10%; spend $150, save 15%"). They raise average order value, which offsets the discount.
- Free shipping over a threshold. Often more attractive than a percentage and cheaper for you than it feels, especially if you set the threshold above your average order.
- Bundles. Pair a popular product with a high-margin one at a combined price.
- Gift with purchase. A low-cost item that seems valuable. Better for your margin than cutting the price.
- Deeper discounts on a few "hero" products, with others at a smaller discount. Use sparingly.
Step 3: Protect against the usual traps
- Stacking. Make sure discount codes, automatic discounts and gift cards don't combine into something you can't afford. Test the combinations on a test cart.
- Selling out of your best margin items first. Check stock and, if needed, limit quantities.
- Training customers to wait. If you discount heavily and constantly, buyers learn never to pay full price.
- Underestimating shipping. Holiday surcharges are real. Re-check your rates; see our holiday shipping guide.
- Importing costs. If you import goods, duties can change your margins. See our tariffs article.
Step 4: Honest urgency, not fake urgency
Real deadlines work ("Ends Monday at midnight"). Fake ones hurt trust and can run into consumer protection rules. If you say "limited stock," make sure it's true.
Step 5: Make the offer easy to find and understand
- One clear banner at the top of the site.
- A dedicated landing page for the sale with the top products. See landing pages for ads.
- Show the discounted price on collection and product pages, not just at checkout.
- Test the whole experience on a phone.
Step 6: Reach your best customers first
Email and SMS are your cheapest channels. Give your subscribers early access (for example Thursday evening) and send reminders. Check your sender setup first. See Gmail and Yahoo rules. A good email and SMS flow setup makes the whole weekend easier.
Step 7: Measure what matters
- Profit per order, not just revenue.
- Average order value.
- New vs. returning customers.
- Which offers drove orders.
Make sure your tracking is accurate before the weekend. We explain how in our GA4 setup guide.
A simple example plan
- Early access for subscribers on Thursday, November 26.
- Friday to Monday: 15% off sitewide, free shipping over $75.
- Bundle: two best-sellers for a fixed price.
- Cyber Monday: a 24-hour extra for a short list of products.
- Limits on the thinnest-margin items.
Want a second opinion?
We can review your offers, landing page and checkout before the rush. See our full Black Friday checklist, or request a written quote and we'll tell you what's worth doing in the time you have left.
Frequently asked questions
What discount should I offer on Black Friday?
The one your margins can support. Calculate profit per product after discount, shipping, fees and ad costs, then choose a simple offer you can afford.
Is free shipping better than a percentage discount?
Often it converts well and costs less than it feels, especially if the threshold is above your average order value.
How do I stop discount codes from stacking?
Test combinations on a test cart and set discount combination rules in Shopify. Broken stacking is a common holiday bug.
Should I use countdown timers?
Only real deadlines. Fake urgency erodes trust and can raise consumer protection concerns.
Related services
- Shopify Landing Page & Sales Funnel Design – focused landing pages for ads and launches
- Klaviyo Email & SMS Flows Setup for Shopify – welcome, cart, post-purchase and winback flows
- GA4 & Meta Pixel Tracking Setup for Shopify – GA4 and Meta Pixel tracking verified with test purchases
