Top Five Ways Retailers Should Be Preparing for Black Friday - Starting NOW

Black Friday may still be a couple of months away, but the reality for retailers is that waiting until November to begin Black Friday messaging means missing the boat entirely. (And this is not a boat that you want to miss: 78% of shoppers last year planned on participating in holiday season shopping events.) 

Holiday shopping habits have shifted dramatically in recent years. Consumers are starting earlier, buying smarter, and focusing on the deals that deliver value. According to recent data, nearly half of shoppers have begun their holiday shopping by the first week of November, and many complete the bulk of it before Thanksgiving even hits. 

Here’s how smart retailers can start preparing now to get ahead of both the rush and the competition. 

Get in Early: October is the New November 

Let’s say it again: If your Black Friday strategy starts after Halloween, you’re too late. 

By late November, many shoppers have already checked off most of their holiday lists - and are only picking up a few extra for themselves.  Retailers that launch deals in October are better positioned to capture early demand and build momentum leading into peak season. 

We saw this in action last year - Target rolled out Black Friday deals in mid-October exclusively for Circle loyalty members. Expect more retailers to follow suit this year. 

Pro Tip: Launch teaser campaigns and early-access offers starting in October. Build excitement and momentum with countdowns and early-access deals to create urgency and capture the shoppers getting an early jump on their holiday lists. 

Grow Your Loyalty Program and First-Party Data

Your loyalty program isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a critical asset during the holidays. Start building your audience now, so you can target them with personalized offers later. Whether it’s newsletter signups or loyalty memberships, early acquisition gives you a head start. 

Try incentives like: 

• “Get $5 off today’s purchase when you join our loyalty program” 

• “Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to access our Black Friday deals.” 

Once you’ve gathered first-party data, you can segment and retarget these shoppers with personalized deals, exclusive access, and loyalty-only pricing. 

Pro Tip: Use “early access” as a loyalty benefit - it rewards existing customers and incentivizes new signups ahead of peak shopping. 

Use Layered Messaging to Build Anticipation 

Don’t wait until the week of Black Friday to communicate your deals. The most effective strategies layer messaging over time, growing more specific and segmented as the date approaches. 

Amazon’s Prime Day was a masterclass in this: 

• May: “Prime Day is coming this July” 

• June: “Up to 50% off Prime Day Deals July 8 - 11”

• Late June: Personalized messaging by category and behavior (i.e. Specific electronics details sent to known electronics shoppers.”)

Apply this model to your Black Friday strategy - begin with broad awareness, and narrow your messaging by audience segment and category as you go. 

Pro Tip: Exclusivity and the fear of missing out on unique opportunities can drive impulse purchase. Leverage exclusive offers to motivate customers to engage with your brand and make purchases they might otherwise postpone. 

Build and Segment Your Advertising Audiences

Your ad strategy should be firing on all cylinders before October even begins. Use this time to warm up your audiences and fill the funnel. 

Some key steps to get started: 

• Retarget your loyalty members and email subscribers 

• Prospect for new audiences based on interests, demographics, or past behaviors 

• Create loyalty-only pricing structures to deepen relationships with loyal shoppers. (ie. “Black Friday starts early - exclusively for members.”

Pro Tip: Leverage data and analytics to inform strategies, optimize performance, and adapt to changing consumer behaviors. Utilize data on current customers to make data-driven choices to determine new customers, craft impactful messaging, and decide what sales will be most effective. 

Prepare Inventory and Messaging Around Emerging Trends 

To maximize impact, align your inventory and messaging with what shoppers actually want. A few trends to watch: 

Shoppers are prioritizing experiences over goods: Retailers should expect more on spending on gifts that create memories like travel, dining, and entertainment. 

Non-gift purchases are still important: Many are buying for themselves. Think: Home goods, party apparel, and decorations. 

Frugality is driving decisions: There’s no way around it - shoppers are feeling the pinch right now. We’re seeing consumers trading down to more affordable brands and retailers as a result. 

Pro Tip: Highlight the quality and value of your private-label offerings early in your campaign to meet value-conscious customers where they are. 

The retailers poised to win Black Friday aren’t waiting for the calendar to flip to November. They’re already building their audience, creating their messaging, and preparing to launch early — because acting now means capturing more share, deepening customer loyalty, and ending the year with serious momentum.