Hey, it's Chase and Jimmy here.

Black Friday has a way of sneaking up on you.

One minute it’s late summer… the next, you’re staring down Cyber Weekend wondering how to pull it all off.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need a brand-new strategy to win. Even small, last-minute moves can make a big difference - like tightening up your returns policy, waking up your inactive list, or giving your pop-ups a seasonal refresh.

In today’s checklist, we’re sharing 15 quick wins to save your BFCM weekend, boost sales, and keep the chaos under control.

Also inside:

✔️ Digital Shoplifting Stops Here
✔️ Stop Paying for Customers You Already Own
✔️ Quick Clips: Amazon AI Agents, caffeine gummies, NikeSkims + more

👉 Let’s dive in.

🛑 Digital Shoplifting Stops Here

Fraud isn’t just stolen cards anymore. Friendly fraud and return abuse are draining $125B+ from merchants every year.

That’s why Chargeflow just launched Prevent - the world’s first identity-based fraud prevention platform.

✅ Stops friendly fraud, return abuse, and chargebacks
✅ Approves first, screens post-purchase (no unnecessary declines)
✅ Automated, operator-friendly workflows

This is a 360° shield for ecommerce growth.

👉 Sign up now to get your first 1,000 screened transactions free and start catching fraud.

Your BFCM Checklist: 15 Quick Wins to Save Your Black Friday Weekend

Black Friday always sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? One minute it’s summer, the next you’re staring at a calendar wondering how on earth you’ll pull it off.

Take a breath. You don’t need to overhaul your entire strategy. There are still plenty of quick, high-impact moves you can make to win this weekend.

Here are 15 last-minute tips to save your sales.

1. Refresh your pop-ups

That everyday “10% off your first order” popup? Retire it.

Black Friday deserves its own spotlight. Think:

• “Unlock our Black Friday deals”

• “VIP Cyber Weekend Access”

And while you’re at it, collect SMS alongside email. People are glued to their phones during BFCM. You’ll thank yourself later when texts are landing faster than crowded inboxes.

2. Add a little fun with gamification

Everyone’s asking for emails right now. Want to stand out? Make it a game. Spin-to-win wheels, scratch-to-reveal offers… anything that makes sign-ups feel like play, not work.

It’s amazing how a tiny element of surprise can turn a casual visitor into a subscriber. Just test it against your standard form so you know what genuinely resonates.

3. Keep your site as simple as possible

Reality check: shoppers are stressed, multitasking, and comparing 10 tabs at once. If they have to hunt around your site to figure out what’s on sale, you’ve lost them.

Keep it simple:

• Big banner with your deal, no fluff.

• Obvious CTAs like “Shop Black Friday Deals.”

• Clear shipping cut-offs right on the homepage.

Make it so easy that even a distracted shopper can’t miss it.

4. Don’t forget the window shoppers

Lots of people will browse, get distracted, and leave. That’s normal. What’s not normal is letting them go without a reminder.

Update your cart and browse abandonment flows with urgency, such as:

• “Your Black Friday deal is still waiting”

• “Only 3 left in stock. Still ships before Christmas”

Even one well-timed nudge can rescue the sale.

5. Wake up your inactive list

BFCM is the perfect excuse to re-engage old subscribers. Even a simple “Want in on our biggest sale of the year?” email can work wonders.

If they don’t bite? No worries. Suppress them and save yourself from wasted send volume. It’s always better to focus your energy on people who are excited.

6. Revisit your automations

Your welcome emails and cart flows have been humming along all year, but they might feel out of place right now. Imagine someone signs up and gets a generic “Welcome to our store” while your biggest sale is live.

Here are some quick fixes:

• Add seasonal copy and visuals.

• Include your best BFCM offer directly in the flows.

• Make sure subscribers aren’t receiving clashing discounts.

7. Make gifting easy-breezy

One of the biggest headaches for customers is figuring out how to buy gifts without ruining the surprise. If you can solve this, you’ll win hearts.

Here are some ideas:

• Offer “ship later” options.

• Curate gift guides (“For Him,” “Under $50,” “Stocking Stuffers”).

• Bundle products for one-click gifting.

Help people make decisions faster and they’ll thank you with their wallets.

8. Upgrade your product visuals

Attention spans are short during BFCM. People are scrolling fast, and good visuals can literally make the difference between “add to cart” and bounce.

Here’s what you can do:

• Replace plain white-background shots with lifestyle imagery.

• Show the product in action (unboxing, being worn, being used).

• Repurpose customer stories and UGC to build authenticity.

9. Recycle what’s already working

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Take your top-performing ad or email from the past few months, slap a bold Black Friday headline on it, and watch it work again.

And since your traffic is about to spike, use the moment to test something small.

It could be a new subject line or a different CTA button. Tiny tweaks that can pay off big when you’ve got more eyes on your brand.

10. Be smart (not reckless) with discounts

It’s tempting to go deep (50% off, 70% off) but data shows moderate discounts (10–25%) often convert just as well and leave you with healthier profits.

Why? Shoppers value product quality and loyalty perks over rock-bottom pricing.

Rule of thumb: Launch with your best deal, so early buyers don’t feel burned when you announce something better later. Nothing kills loyalty faster than regret.

11. Tighten up your returns process

Most brands forget: more sales = more returns. If your process is clunky, you’ll end up with frustrated customers right when you need them happiest.

Here’s how to take care of them (and your support team):

• Publish clear returns info on product pages.

• Make returns frictionless (ideally with self-service).

• Offer store credit as a middle ground to keep revenue in-house.

Customers who feel safe buying are more likely to buy again.

12. Walk the customer journey yourself

The fastest way to find issues is to pretend you’re the customer.

Shop your own store:

• Place an order.

• Track the emails/texts you get.

• Spot where things feel clunky, unclear, or impersonal.

If something makes you hesitate, imagine how a first-time buyer feels. Fix those cracks now while you still can.

13. Tap into TikTok buzz

TikTok isn’t just dance trends anymore. It’s a major shopping channel.

Last year, 62% of 18–24-year-olds said they shop via TikTok.

Here’s how to use it for BFCM:

• Find creators already posting about your products and partner with them.

• Repost UGC as Spark Ads for instant reach.

• Encourage unboxing or review content that builds trust.

A viral TikTok over Cyber Weekend can send floods of buyers to your site… with zero ad spend.

14. Lean on SMS for urgency

Inboxes are swamped during BFCM. That’s why SMS is one of the best ways to stand out.

Text your way to success:

• Send VIPs early-access codes.

• Remind buyers about expiring deals.

• Alert last-shoppers about shipping deadlines.

Shoppers are glued to their phones all weekend. Put your offer where their eyes already are.

15. Let AI lighten your load

Let’s be real: you don’t have time to handcraft every subject line and SMS.

Thankfully, we have AI tools now. Use them to:

• Draft first-pass copy for emails

• Generate subject line variations

• Brainstorm CTA ideas

Think of it as your 24/7 assistant. You’ll still want to polish the tone and add some human in there. But it’ll save you hours you can spend on strategy instead.

TL;DR: Your BFCM Game Plan in a Nutshell

You don’t need to nail every BFCM tactic. Just focus on the moves that make the biggest difference for your shoppers (and your sanity).

Here’s a quick recap:

✅ Make it easy for shoppers to say yes. Clear pop-ups, simple site design, and gift-ready options reduce friction and speed up buying decisions.
✅ Don’t let potential buyers slip away. Abandonment flows, re-engagement emails, and SMS reminders give you a second (or third) chance to close the deal.
✅ Protect your margins and reputation. Smart discounts, smooth returns, and transparent policies build trust and prevent regret-driven churn.
✅ Play where your audience hangs out. TikTok, SMS, and even AI-assisted copywriting help you cut through the noise and show up timely.

Here’s to sales rolling in, stress staying low, and a smooth path into the holiday season 🎉

💸 Stop Paying for Customers You Already Own

Here’s a hidden leak in most Shopify ad accounts:

20–40% of budget goes to retargeting existing customers.

Why? Because Meta can’t clearly distinguish new vs. returning buyers. The algorithm thinks those “easy wins” are great performance - but in reality, you’re paying for conversions your Klaviyo flows or SMS could’ve handled for free.

TrackBee fixes this by enriching conversion data with persistent shopper profiles and sending it back into Meta’s New vs Returning Customer feature.

That means:

• Ads focus on acquiring new, high-value customers

• Returning buyers are nurtured through owned channels

• Budgets finally fuel real growth instead of recycled wins

👉 Smarter budget allocation starts here.

🗞️ Quick Clips:

• Amazon adds AI agent to help third-party sellers: Amazon’s Seller Assistant tool now includes agentic features that take action on behalf of merchants (like fixing account issues and managing inventory) freeing sellers up to focus on product and growth.

• NikeSkims debuted Friday with 58 styles and 10K+ outfit combos: The long-awaited activewear collab between Nike and Skims is finally here, blending performance materials with bold styling. Launching across both brand websites and flagship stores.

• Ben Stiller enters the better-for-you soda chat: Stiller’s Soda launched with nostalgic drops in lemon-lime, Shirley Temple, and root beer. Low sugar, added vitamins, and vintage vibes. Now shipping nationwide via Amazon.

• Bloom and Tandy launch caffeinated sour gummies: The energy collab brings Bloom’s sparkling drink flavors to chewy, flower-shaped gummies with 50mg of green tea caffeine in each.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me. Always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

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