Starting Black Friday Early: DTC Tactics to Win in November
Black Friday Isn’t a Day—It’s a Season: DTC Tactics for Winning November
If you're still planning to launch your Black Friday campaign on Thanksgiving, you're already behind. "Black November" is no longer just a catchy phrase; it's the new reality. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, especially those on Shopify, have shifted strategies, unveiling their top deals well before the turkey is carved. Why? More than half of U.S. holiday shoppers are already buying by early November (Axios).
While big-box retailers may have set the pace, DTCs are now leading the charge. Early-bird promos, exclusive VIP offers, and content-rich campaigns aren't just strategies—they're the new standard. Here's how you can capture more revenue before inboxes and wallets are maxed out, and how tools like LiveRecover can enhance your approach by combining automation with a human touch.
The Holiday Creep Is Real—and Documented
Remember when holiday shopping kicked off on Black Friday? Those days are over.
"The holiday sales have started early," says Katya Constantine, CEO of DigiShop Media.
"They're taking place over a holiday quarter now rather than the holiday month of old" (Digiday).
Kristina Monllos
In 2025, Amazon, Target, and Walmart launched major deals in early October, even before Halloween (Direct to Consumer).
Shopify’s president, Harley Finkelstein, nailed it: “It’s an entire season.” Ecommerce spending now spikes four weeks before Cyber Monday (The Logic).
Murad Hemmadi
For operators, the takeaway is simple: engage customers in early November, or risk being invisible when they're ready to buy.
Why DTC Brands Are Moving Up Their Calendars
Launching early isn’t just about being first; it’s about being heard. Competing on Black Friday can feel like shouting into a hurricane.
“It’s making less and less sense to concentrate BF/CM to a single weekend,” explains David Hoos from Outloud Group (Digiday).
Early promos allow brands to escape ad congestion and reach customers before inbox fatigue sets in.
There's also a logistical advantage. Selling earlier flattens your fulfillment curve, reduces the risk of shipping delays, and avoids the chaos of concentrating all efforts on one weekend. If you survived the 2020–2021 shipping crunch, this is a no-brainer (Modern Retail).
Anna Hensel
And let's not forget the calendar: in 2024, there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas than the previous year (Modern Retail). Early promos lock in revenue, capture new emails, and warm up your best customers before Black Friday even hits.
Early-Bird Sales: Locking in Spend Before the Flood
Winning early doesn’t have to be complicated: start early. "Black November" sales—initiated in late October or early November—are now the norm for DTCs across all sectors. From apparel to skincare, brands like Rhone, Peace Out Skincare, and Hero Cosmetics have launched pre–Black Friday deals weeks ahead of the competition (Modern Retail).
Smart operators stagger offers to avoid cannibalizing peak weekend sales. Begin with a moderate 20–25% discount for early birds, then increase deals for Black Friday (Modern Retail). This builds momentum, gathers data, and preserves your margin for the late-November rush.
Lauren Masur, Marketing Director at Anyday, sums it up perfectly:
“Because we have such a packed promotions calendar this year, we started the rollout early to space out our touch points and ensure that our campaigns stand out in crowded inboxes” (Modern Retail).
Early shoppers are eager, and many prefer to finish their lists before the late-November chaos (Axios).
VIP Access and Loyalty Perks: Reward Your Best Customers
The “secret sale” is making a comeback, and it’s more effective than ever. Offering your subscribers and top customers early access to holiday deals—either via email or SMS—can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Anyday implemented this by giving its highest-spending customers a personal 48-hour discount code ahead of Black Friday (Modern Retail).
This isn’t just about making customers feel special; it’s a strategic move to drive revenue in early November, strengthen loyalty, and ensure your best customers don't spend their budget elsewhere.
Tiered offers (“spend $X by Nov 15, get an extra Y% off”) prompt early action and allow for targeted messaging. Retailers like Walmart+ and Target Circle have effectively used this “loyalty-first” strategy (Direct to Consumer). For DTCs, your “members” might simply be your email list—so treat them like VIPs.
Creative Campaigns: Build Hype, Not Just Discounts
Starting early isn’t just about reducing prices ahead of time. Leading DTC brands leverage the extended timeline to create anticipation and community engagement.
- Tease and reveal in stages: Start with hints in October, roll out sneak peeks, and reveal deals gradually. This keeps your audience engaged and curious (TCF Team).
- Daily drops or limited-time events: Conduct a multi-day campaign—similar to Hero Cosmetics’ daily deal series—to give customers a reason to check in every day (Modern Retail).
- Community engagement: Utilize polls, contests, or live streams to involve your audience. Let them help decide on sale items, or host VIP preview events (TCF Team).
- Soft launch new products or bundles: Use early November to introduce new products, bundles, or limited editions. Anyday launched new cookware sizes in September as part of its holiday lead-up, yielding excellent results (Modern Retail).
The key is to ensure every touchpoint—from teaser to peak sale—tells a cohesive story, guiding customers through the season and keeping your brand top-of-mind (TCF Team).
Jasmine Khachatryan
Don’t Just Automate—Humanize: The Case for LiveRecover
Early engagement creates more opportunities to recover revenue from abandoned carts. In a world of automated flows, human connection stands out.
LiveRecover is an SMS cart recovery platform that uses real human agents. When a shopper abandons their cart, LiveRecover’s team personally texts the customer—answering questions, addressing concerns, and helping close the sale in real-time. This isn’t another bot sending reminders; it’s a genuine conversation.
In the "Black November" context, this provides a strategic advantage. Automated flows are basic; LiveRecover’s human approach consistently outperforms them because customers feel they’re interacting with a real person, not a script. This drives higher revenue recovery while maintaining trust and the brand experience. For operators, it’s the best of both worlds: automation with a human touch, precisely when customers are most likely to convert.
Consider it an essential part of your early Black Friday toolkit—especially when every sale counts and inboxes are already overloaded.
What Winning Looks Like in 2025: A Founder’s POV
DTC brands winning Q4 aren’t waiting for Black Friday—they’re turning it into a month-long strategy. The new standard is to start early, segment smart, and keep the momentum building. Data shows that spreading promotions across November doesn’t cannibalize Black Friday—it enhances your total. U.S. shoppers spent a record $241.4 billion online in Nov–Dec 2024, with Cyber Week accounting for $76 billion, but early deals drove much of that growth (eCommerce Bridge).
Katarína Šimčíkova, Dusan Popovic
As a founder, the advantage is clear: secure revenue early, learn what works while the stakes are lower, and use those insights to supercharge your peak-week campaigns. If you’re still waiting for Black Friday, you’re already behind (Chute Gerdeman). The brands that thrive will be the ones playing offense all November, not just defense on one weekend.
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