Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are among the biggest sales opportunities of the year for online retailers. These few days can generate a significant chunk of your annual revenue and set the momentum for the rest of the holiday season. As we head into BFCM 2025, shoppers are more demanding and the competition is tougher than ever—which means the retailers who prepare well will have a real advantage.
But BFCM isn’t only about the sales numbers—it’s your chance to win new customers and turn them into loyal fans. The experiences you create during these few hectic days can pay off for months (or even years) to come. The retailers who do well are the ones who plan ahead, think through potential problems, and manage to keep things running smoothly even when traffic and orders spike across multiple sales channels.
Why Preparation Matters
In 2024, shoppers spent $10.8 billion online during Black Friday, marking a 10.2% increase from the previous year, according to Adobe Analytics. Cyber Monday was even bigger, with U.S. online sales reaching $13.3 billion, up 7.3% year-over-year. The entire Cyber Week period (Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday) brought in $41.1 billion online, showing that BFCM continues to grow as consumers shift more of their holiday shopping online.
For multi-channel sellers, BFCM represents both a massive opportunity and a significant operational challenge. The more places you sell, the harder it becomes to keep everything in sync during a high-volume period. Inventory that’s out of stock in one place but still showing as available in another, or accidentally overselling because updates didn’t happen fast enough—these are the kinds of problems that cost sales and hurt your reputation when it matters most.
When to Start Preparing
The answer? As soon as possible. With BFCM about eight weeks away, you’re in a good window to prepare, but even if you’re starting later, there’s still time to make meaningful improvements. Here’s what needs attention before the rush hits:
- Inventory planning ensures you have enough stock to meet demand without tying up too much capital
- Listing optimization helps your products stand out and convert browsers into buyers
- Channel strategy maximizes your reach by getting your products in front of shoppers wherever they’re looking
- Order fulfillment preparation keeps operations running smoothly when volume spikes
Inventory Planning: Stock Smart, Not Just More
Getting your inventory right for BFCM is a balancing act. Order too little and you’ll miss out on sales during your biggest revenue days of the year. Order too much and you’ll tie up cash in products that might not move, potentially facing steep discounts later to clear them out.
Start by looking at last year’s data. Which products flew off the shelves? Which ones didn’t move as expected? What were your bestsellers, and did you run out of stock on any of them? This historical data is your best guide for forecasting demand. If you didn’t sell during last year’s BFCM, look at your regular sales patterns and expect a 2-3x spike during the peak days.
Pay special attention to your lead times. If you’re sourcing products from suppliers or manufacturers, factor in how long it takes to receive inventory. During the holiday season, many suppliers are also dealing with increased demand, which can extend normal lead times. Order early to avoid the panic of waiting for stock to arrive while deals are already live.
When selling across multiple channels, you need clear visibility into what’s available everywhere. Set up low-stock alerts so you’re notified before items sell out, giving you time to reorder or shift your marketing focus to products you have in stock.
Listing Optimization
During BFCM, shoppers are comparing dozens of similar products across multiple marketplaces. Your listings need to stand out and convince them to click “buy” on yours instead of a competitor’s.
Start with your product titles. They should be clear, descriptive, and include the keywords shoppers are actually searching for. Don’t stuff keywords unnaturally, but make sure the most important details—brand, product type, key features—are front and center. Different marketplaces have different character limits and best practices, so optimize your titles for each channel rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Your product images are just as critical as your titles. Use high-quality photos that show the product from multiple angles. Include lifestyle images that help shoppers visualize using the product. Many marketplaces allow multiple images—use all the slots available. During BFCM, when shoppers are making quick decisions, a poor image can be the reason they scroll past your listing.
Product descriptions should answer the questions shoppers have before they ask them. What are the dimensions? What materials is it made from? What’s included in the box? How does it work? The more thoroughly you answer these questions in your listing, the fewer barriers exist between browsing and buying. Use bullet points for key features so shoppers can scan quickly, then provide more detailed information in the full description.
Finally, make sure your pricing is competitive but strategic. Research what competitors are charging for similar products. During BFCM, shoppers are deal-hunting, but they’re also suspicious of prices that seem too good to be true. Position your discounts clearly—show the original price and the sale price so the value is obvious.
Channel Strategy: Be Where Your Customers Are Shopping
Not all sales channels perform equally during BFCM, and not all products do well on every marketplace. Understanding where your customers are shopping and which channels work best for your specific products can make a huge difference in your results.
Amazon tends to dominate BFCM traffic, but that also means more competition. If you sell on Amazon, make sure your listings are optimized and consider running sponsored product ads to increase visibility. Amazon shoppers often search with specific intent, so having detailed, keyword-rich listings matters even more during high-traffic periods.
eBay shoppers are often bargain hunters looking for deals, making it a strong channel for discounted inventory or unique finds. Walmart’s marketplace is growing rapidly and tends to attract shoppers looking for everyday essentials and trusted brands. Etsy shines for handmade, vintage, or unique items, and its shoppers are often willing to pay more for something special.
Your own website or Shopify store gives you the most control and the best margins since you’re not paying marketplace fees. Use BFCM as an opportunity to drive traffic to your own site through email marketing and social media. Offering exclusive deals or early access on your website can help build your direct customer base.
The key is understanding where each of your products performs best and ensuring you have inventory allocated appropriately across channels. Some products might sell better on Amazon while others do better on Etsy. Use your sales data from previous months to guide these decisions, and don’t spread yourself too thin—it’s better to do well on three channels than poorly on seven.
Order Fulfillment Preparation
When orders start flooding in during BFCM, your fulfillment process needs to run like a well-oiled machine. The excitement of high sales volume can quickly turn into stress if you’re not prepared to ship everything out efficiently.
If you’re fulfilling orders yourself, map out your packing and shipping workflow ahead of time. Where will you stage orders? How will you batch process them? Can you dedicate specific times of day to packing and shipping rather than doing it ad-hoc? Having a clear process prevents mistakes and speeds up fulfillment when you’re handling 3-5x your normal order volume.
For sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), make sure your inventory is received and checked in at Amazon’s warehouses well before BFCM. Amazon’s receiving times can slow down as they deal with increased volume from all sellers preparing for the holidays. Send your inventory early to ensure it’s available when your promotions go live.
Set realistic shipping expectations with your customers. Be clear about processing times and delivery estimates. During BFCM, it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than to promise fast shipping and miss deadlines. Communicate any delays proactively rather than waiting for customers to reach out asking where their order is.
Get Ready for Your Biggest Sales Days
When you prepare for Black Friday Cyber Monday with the right strategies in place, you set yourself up for success. Smart inventory planning, optimized listings across channels, and efficient fulfillment processes make the difference between a chaotic rush and a profitable, manageable peak season.
Sellbrite helps multi-channel sellers stay organized during BFCM and beyond. With centralized inventory management, bulk listing tools, and automatic syncing across all your sales channels, you can focus on growing your business instead of worrying about overselling or keeping everything updated manually. Start preparing today and make 2025 your most successful BFCM yet.
