How to Prepare for Black Friday: 30-Day Checklist for DTC Brands

I've been working with e-commerce brands for over a decade now, and I've seen countless Black Friday preparation guides.

Most of them are variations on the same theme: "optimize your product pages," "plan your email sequences," "stock up on inventory." All true. All necessary. All missing what actually separates brands that crush BFCM from those that merely survive it.

Here's what those checklists don't tell you… the brands that dominated Black Friday 2024—capturing a share of that $10.8 billion in US online sales—weren't necessarily the ones who checked every box on a preparation list. They were the ones whose systems could handle the chaos when plans inevitably changed.

What happens when your top-performing product sells out on day one? When your ad creative stops working mid-weekend? When your checkout flow breaks under 10x normal traffic? The checklist doesn't tell you. Your execution infrastructure does.

This is why we've built this guide differently.

Yes, it's a checklist—you need concrete tasks to complete. But it's organized around a deeper principle: everything you do in these 30 days should make your brand more adaptable, not just more prepared.

Because preparation assumes things will go according to plan. Adaptability assumes they won't—and positions you to win anyway.

The 30-Day Framework: What Gets Done When

Let's be honest about something, if you're reading this guide hoping to execute a perfect BFCM campaign by simply following a checklist, you're approaching this wrong. Checklists are tools for execution, not substitutes for strategic thinking.

What makes this framework different is that every task is designed to answer a specific question about your readiness. Not "did we do the thing," but "can our systems handle what BFCM will actually throw at us?"

Days 30-22: Foundation Week (Infrastructure & Intelligence)

This is the week most brands waste in meetings. Instead, you're stress-testing the systems that everything else depends on.

Day 30: The Honest Assessment

Task: Audit last year's BFCM performance with brutal honesty.

What to analyze:

• [ ] Which products actually drove profit (not just revenue)

• [ ] Where your execution broke down (traffic spike that crashed the site? email sequence that deployed late?)

• [ ] Customer acquisition costs by channel

• [ ] Percentage of new vs. returning customers

• [ ] Post-BFCM retention rates (this is the metric most brands ignore)

The deeper question: Are you trying to replicate last year's approach, or are you building something better?

Tool recommendation: If you're using Shopify, dive into your analytics. But if you're relying on multiple disconnected tools to piece together this picture, you already have an infrastructure problem worth addressing. Platforms like Averi can unify this data and actually show you patterns across your entire customer journey—not just isolated channel performance.

Days 29-28: Inventory Reality Check

Task: Verify inventory against forecasted demand—and build in buffer.

Shopify merchants generated $9.3 billion during BFCM 2023, and many of the brands who left money on the table did so because they ran out of stock on their best-sellers. But here's what the data doesn't tell you: overstoking slow-movers to "be ready" destroys cash flow for Q1.

What to verify:

• [ ] Confirmed delivery dates from suppliers (not promised dates—confirmed)

• [ ] Buffer stock for top 10% of products (aim for 25-30% above forecast)

• [ ] Return/exchange process capacity during peak season

• [ ] Alternative suppliers identified for critical products

The execution test: Can you reallocate inventory between warehouses or fulfillment centers if demand patterns shift mid-BFCM? If the answer is "probably not," you're flying blind.

Days 27-25: Technical Infrastructure Stress Test

This is where brands that move fast during the year get a reality check: Can your systems handle 80% of traffic coming from mobile devices, which was the reality for Cyber Week 2024?

What to test:

• [ ] Site load speed under simulated 10x traffic

• [ ] Mobile checkout flow on multiple devices (iOS and Android, different screen sizes)

• [ ] Payment processing redundancy (what if your primary processor has issues?)

• [ ] Analytics tracking accuracy across all platforms

• [ ] Inventory sync speed between your e-commerce platform and warehouse system

The critical question: How will you know if something breaks during BFCM weekend? Do you have real-time alerts set up, or will you find out when customers start complaining?

Most brands discover their site has been down for 30 minutes because someone on the team tries to visit it. That's unacceptable when you're processing $15.8 million per minute during peak hours.

Days 24-22: Offer Architecture Finalization

Here's where strategic thinking matters more than aggressive discounting. Average discounts hit 28% during BFCM 2024, but the winning brands weren't competing on depth—they were competing on structure.

What to finalize:

• [ ] Tiered offers (spend $X, get Y% off)

• [ ] Bundle configurations that protect margins while appearing generous

• [ ] Early access parameters for email list (when does it start, how long does it last?)

• [ ] Loyalty tier benefits (what do your best customers get that new shoppers don't?)

• [ ] BNPL integration if you haven't already ($991 million in BNPL purchases on Cyber Monday 2024, 75% on mobile)

The margin test: Run every offer through your actual cost structure. If your CAC spikes 40% during BFCM (it probably will), can you still be profitable at these discount levels?

This isn't pessimism—it's math that saves brands from "winning" BFCM while actually losing money.

Days 21-15: Creative Production Week (The Content Sprint)

This is the week where strategy becomes visible. Everything you've planned needs to turn into actual creative assets people will see.

Days 21-19: Creative Concept Development

Task: Generate creative variations at scale, not just a few "strong concepts."

Here's where most brands fail: they produce 2-3 ad variations and hope one works. The brands crushing BFCM test 10-15 variations simultaneously, kill underperformers within 48 hours, and scale winners aggressively.

What to produce:

• [ ] 10+ paid media ad variations (different value props, visual styles, formats)

• [ ] Email sequence templates (minimum 8-12 emails across the BFCM period)

• [ ] Landing page variations for different audience segments

• [ ] SMS message templates (if you're using SMS marketing)

• [ ] Social media content calendar (organic posts that support paid campaigns)

The scale challenge: How are you producing this volume without sacrificing quality?

This is where AI + expert execution changes the game. Averi's approach generates initial creative concepts through AI trained on your brand voice, then activates expert creative directors for 2-3 day sprints to refine into final assets. You get both volume and quality—which used to require choosing one or the other.

Days 18-17: Email Sequence Build & Segmentation

Task: Build email flows that recognize customers aren't all the same.

Required sequences:

• [ ] Pre-BFCM warm-up (7-10 days before, building anticipation)

• [ ] Early access announcement (VIP/loyalty tier)

• [ ] Main BFCM launch

• [ ] Mid-sale check-in ("Did you miss this?")

• [ ] Last call urgency

• [ ] Post-purchase thank you + retention sequence

• [ ] Win-back for browsers who didn't buy

The segmentation test: Are you sending different messages to past customers vs. email-only subscribers vs. cart abandoners? Generic "one email fits all" approaches leave massive revenue on the table.

Days 16-15: Landing Page Optimization

Task: Ensure every paid media click lands on a page optimized for conversion.

Cart abandonment rates exceed 70% globally. During BFCM, when comparison shopping is at its peak, that number gets worse unless your landing pages are flawless.

What to optimize:

• [ ] Mobile-first design (80% of traffic will be mobile)

• [ ] Clear value proposition above the fold

• [ ] Social proof elements (reviews, testimonials, trust badges)

• [ ] Urgency that feels real, not manipulative

• [ ] Checkout friction points removed (extra form fields, unclear shipping costs)

The conversion test: Run real users through your checkout flow. Time how long it takes from landing page to completed purchase. If it's over 90 seconds on mobile, you're losing conversions.

Days 14-8: Deployment Week (Systems Go Live)

This is where preparation meets reality. Everything you've built starts deploying—first to small audiences for testing, then at scale.

Days 14-12: Paid Media Campaign Setup

Task: Build campaign architecture that can scale fast and kill failures faster.

What to deploy:

• [ ] Campaign structures across platforms (Meta, Google, TikTok)

• [ ] Audience segmentation with clear hypotheses

• [ ] Creative testing frameworks with kill criteria

• [ ] Daily budget allocations with reallocation protocols

• [ ] Conversion tracking verification (test actual purchases, not just clicks)

The testing protocol: Define your kill criteria now. If an ad variation hits $X in spend with $Y CAC, it gets killed. No emotions, no "let's give it one more day." Data-driven ruthlessness wins BFCM.

Days 11-9: Email Pre-Warming

Task: Start building anticipation without revealing your full hand.

What to send:

• [ ] Teaser content (hint at what's coming)

• [ ] Value-add content (gift guides, product education)

• [ ] List segmentation completion (VIP tier identified and tagged)

• [ ] Email deliverability check (ensure you're not landing in spam)

The engagement test: These pre-BFCM emails should achieve above-average open rates. If they don't, your subject lines need work before the main event.

Day 8: Final Technical Check

Task: This is your last chance to catch critical errors before the chaos.

What to verify:

• [ ] All tracking pixels firing correctly

• [ ] Promo codes active and working

• [ ] Inventory numbers accurate across all systems

• [ ] Customer service team briefed on offers and policies

• [ ] Backup systems tested (what if your email provider has issues?)

The "break it" test: Have someone try to break your checkout flow. Invalid promo codes, weird address entries, payment method switches mid-checkout. If they find issues, thank them and fix it now.

Days 7-1: Execution Week (The Main Event Preparation)

You're not launching yet, but every system should be in "go" position.

Days 7-5: Early Access Deployment

Task: Reward your best customers and gather early performance data.

What to launch:

• [ ] VIP early access (email list or loyalty members)

• [ ] Performance monitoring dashboard live

• [ ] Customer service protocols activated

• [ ] Real-time inventory tracking functional

The data advantage: Early access isn't just about rewarding loyalty—it's about stress-testing your systems with a smaller audience before the full traffic surge hits. Watch what products move, what creative resonates, what breaks.

Days 4-2: Team Alignment & Communication Protocols

Task: Ensure everyone knows their role when things get chaotic.

What to establish:

• [ ] Daily standup schedule (15 minutes, same time each day)

• [ ] Decision-making authority (who can reallocate budget without meetings?)

• [ ] Issue escalation process (what gets handled immediately vs. what waits?)

• [ ] Customer service capacity scaled up

• [ ] Off-hours coverage plan (BFCM doesn't sleep)

The execution question: If your site goes down at 2 AM on Black Friday, who gets called and how fast can they respond? If the answer is "we'll figure it out," you're not ready.

Day 1: Pre-Flight Check

Task: Final verification that everything is ready to scale.

Critical checks:

• [ ] All campaigns scheduled and ready to activate

• [ ] Budget caps verified (you don't want to accidentally spend 5x planned)

• [ ] Email sequences queued and ready to send

• [ ] Inventory counts refreshed

• [ ] Performance dashboard accessible to all team members

• [ ] Emergency contacts list distributed

The mindset shift: Tomorrow, you're not planning anymore—you're reacting, optimizing, and scaling in real-time. Everything you can prepare today makes tomorrow's execution smoother.

Day 0 and Beyond: Active Optimization (BFCM Weekend)

Real-time execution:

• [ ] Monitor performance every 6-12 hours minimum

• [ ] Kill underperforming creative within 48 hours

• [ ] Reallocate budget to winning channels daily

• [ ] Respond to customer service issues immediately

• [ ] Watch inventory levels and adjust campaign if items sell out

• [ ] Document everything that breaks or surprises you (Q1 planning starts here)

The post-BFCM strategy:

• [ ] Day +1: Analyze what worked and what didn't

• [ ] Days +2-3: Deploy retention campaigns for new customers

• [ ] Week +1: Build Q1 strategy based on BFCM learnings

• [ ] Week +2: Review customer feedback and operational breakdowns

The Execution Infrastructure You're Actually Missing

Let's address what this checklist reveals: completing these tasks isn't the hard part. Having the capacity to complete them without your team burning out is.

Consider the math: creative production alone (Days 21-15) requires producing 10+ ad variations, 8-12 emails, multiple landing pages, and social content—all while maintaining brand quality. For a three-person marketing team, that's 40-60 hours of work compressed into a week when everyone already has their normal responsibilities.

This is the execution gap that separates brands crushing BFCM from those barely surviving it. The checklist tells you what needs to happen. But it doesn't solve the capacity problem of how it actually gets done.

How Modern Brands Are Solving This

The brands that executed flawlessly during BFCM 2024—capturing their share of that $74.4 billion in global sales—weren't working 80-hour weeks. They'd built execution infrastructure that combined speed and quality through AI + expert specialists.

Here's what that actually looks like with Averi:

Week 1-2 (Infrastructure & Creative):

• AI generates campaign strategies and creative concepts based on your brand

• Expert creative directors refine concepts in 2-3 day sprints

• You review and approve, not create from scratch

Week 3 (Deployment):

• Expert paid media specialists set up campaign architecture

• Email specialists build sequences with proven conversion psychology

• Conversion optimizers ensure your landing pages don't leak revenue

Week 4 (Optimization):

• Real-time performance monitoring in one dashboard

• AI recommendations for budget reallocation

• Expert support for rapid troubleshooting

Time investment from your team: 8-12 hours providing context and strategic direction, not 60+ hours executing tasks.

The result: You go from "hoping everything comes together" to "systematically deploying campaigns that are ready to scale."

See how Averi helps DTC brands execute BFCM in 30 days instead of 90 →

If You're Starting Late (Less Than 30 Days)

So where do we go from here if you're reading this with Black Friday two weeks away?

First, abandon the idea of completing this entire checklist. You don't have time. Instead, ruthlessly prioritize the tasks that will actually impact revenue.

Your emergency 14-day version:

Days 14-10: Focus on fundamentals

• Verify inventory for your top 10 products (not all products)

• Test your checkout flow on mobile (80% of traffic will be mobile)

• Set up basic email sequences (3-4 emails minimum)

• Create 5 strong ad variations (better than 10 weak ones)

Days 9-5: Deploy and test

• Launch early access to email list (gather data before main event)

• Set up daily performance monitoring

• Ensure customer service is briefed

• Test everything twice

Days 4-1: Prepare to adapt

• Define clear kill criteria for underperforming campaigns

• Set up budget reallocation protocols

• Brief team on decision-making authority

• Accept that not everything will be perfect

The execution reality: Brands starting late and still succeeding all have one thing in common—they activate expert help for the tasks they can't complete internally in time. Whether that's through Averi's execution platform or cobbling together freelancers (with all the briefing overhead that entails), you cannot execute BFCM at a high level without additional capacity.

That's not a sales pitch—it's math. The brands that refuse to acknowledge this reality are the ones posting "what went wrong" retrospectives in December.

Why This Approach Works (And Why Most Don't)

I've spent over a decade watching brands prepare for Black Friday, and the pattern is always the same: the ones who treat it like a series of tasks to complete underperform the ones who treat it like a system to test.

This checklist isn't about checking boxes. It's about building infrastructure that makes your brand more adaptable to whatever BFCM actually throws at you—because I can guarantee it won't be what you planned for.

When Shopify merchants processed $4.6 million per minute at peak during BFCM 2024, they weren't just executing predetermined plans. They were adapting to real-time data, killing what wasn't working, and scaling what was—all while their competitors were stuck in the strategies they'd locked in weeks before.

That adaptability isn't about being smarter or having better instincts. It's about having execution infrastructure that can actually implement changes while the race is happening, not just before it starts.

The brands that win BFCM in 2025 will be the ones who spent these 30 days building systems that can handle chaos, not just plans that assume everything goes smoothly.

Your Next 48 Hours: Critical Action Items

This guide has covered 30 days of preparation. But reading it doesn't execute anything.

If you're committed to making BFCM 2025 your best yet:

1. Audit where you actually are right now (2 hours)

   • Go through this checklist and honestly assess what's done vs. what's not

   • Identify your biggest execution gaps (not strategy gaps—execution)

   • Calculate whether your team has capacity to complete what's left

2. Make the hard decision about capacity (30 minutes)

   • Can you execute this internally without burning everyone out?

   • If no, what specific help do you need? (creative, paid media, email, landing pages?)

   • What's the cost of not getting help vs. the cost of mediocre execution?

3. Start the most critical tasks today (varies)

   • If you're 30 days out: Start Week 1 tasks immediately

   • If you're 14 days out: Focus on the emergency version above

   • If you're less than 14 days out: Activate expert help immediately or accept you're doing BFCM 2026 planning, not 2025 execution

The timeline reality: Most things should be decided by end of September, all marketing prepared by end of October, according to operators who've run successful BFCM campaigns for years. If you're reading this in November, you're making the best of a compressed timeline—not executing an ideal one.

That's okay. Brands that adapt to reality instead of pretending it doesn't exist still win.

FAQs

Q: How early should I really start BFCM preparation?

Truthfully? The best brands start BFCM planning in August. But that doesn't help you if it's October. The answer is always: start now with whatever time you have left, and ruthlessly prioritize what actually impacts revenue.

Q: What's the single most important item on this checklist?

Day 8: Final Technical Check. A brilliant campaign that drives traffic to a broken checkout flow is worthless. Make sure your systems can handle the load before you spend a dollar on ads.

Q: Should I compete on discount depth during BFCM?

Average discounts hit 28%, but offer structure matters more than depth. Tiered discounts ("spend $100 get 20%, spend $200 get 30%") protect margins better than flat percentages while still feeling generous.

Q: How do I know if I need outside help vs. doing this internally?

Ask yourself: Can your current team complete Days 21-15 (creative production) without sacrificing quality or burning out? If no, you need help. The brands that struggle with BFCM are the ones who recognize the capacity gap too late.

Q: What if my systems break during BFCM weekend?

This is why Days 27-25 exist. Test everything under simulated load now. If something breaks during testing, you found the weak point before it cost you money. If you skip testing and things break during BFCM, that's on you.

Q: How much budget should I allocate to BFCM paid media?

Plan for 2-3x your normal monthly ad spend, but with the flexibility to scale winners aggressively. The brands that win BFCM don't set rigid budgets—they set efficiency targets (CAC, ROAS) and scale what hits them.

Q: Is it worth using BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later)?

$991 million was spent through BNPL on Cyber Monday 2024, with 75% on mobile. If your average order value is over $100, BNPL can increase conversions by reducing psychological friction around larger purchases.

Q: What's the biggest mistake brands make in BFCM preparation?

Treating execution capacity as infinite. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if your team doesn't have the bandwidth to deploy it properly, the strategy is worthless. Acknowledge capacity constraints early and solve for them.

The Future of BFCM Preparation

We stand at an interesting inflection point in e-commerce. The tools available to DTC brands—AI, automation, sophisticated analytics—have never been more powerful. Yet most brands are using them to do the same old things faster, not to fundamentally reimagine how BFCM execution works.

US shoppers spent $41.1 billion online during the five-day Cyber Week period—an 8.2% increase from the previous year. That growth isn't slowing. Neither is the competition.

The brands that continue to approach BFCM with the same manual processes, the same "we'll figure it out" capacity planning, the same hope that everything comes together—they'll find themselves increasingly outmatched by brands that have built actual execution infrastructure.

This isn't about working harder. It's about building systems that work smarter.

And the best time to build those systems? Thirty days before Black Friday.

The second best time? Right now.

See how Averi helps DTC brands execute this entire checklist without burning out their teams →