Every year, BFCM advice sounds the same: slash prices, run ads, repeat.
However, after helping thousands of Shopify brands run BFCM campaigns for nearly a decade, I’ve learned that competitive pricing intelligence outperforms other old tactics.
It lets you protect your brand, maintain healthy margins, and still drive conversions.
Here are 5 hands-on strategies you can apply right away:
1. Discount to Attract Traffic and Then Upsell High-Margin Products
During a high-traffic season like BFCM, discounts drive clicks and conversions. But discounting alone eats into your margins fast.
Instead, start with a catchy discount to get customers clicking, then upsell higher-margin items to maximize revenue without sacrificing profitability.
Want to make it irresistible? Add a free shipping threshold and show it through a dynamic progress bar that encourages shoppers to add more.
Use case: Decathlon
Decathlon discounted its best-selling shirts to capture traffic, then upsold complementary items in the cart. They also used a progress bar to show how close shoppers were to earning free shipping.
2. Use a Branded Gift Instead of Over-Discounting
To be honest, relying solely on discounts rarely drives long-term success.
Rather, create branded gifts that cost you little but build emotional connection and deliver real value to customers.
Make them exclusive by hiding these gifts from your store so they are unsearchable or purchased separately. Then add an element of surprise by automatically including the gift in shoppers’ carts once they hit the qualifying threshold.
Use case: Pattakespictures (UK)
This Shopify brand uses a low-cost but exclusive gift, a Lightroom preset package called “HALO CINEMATIC PRESET”. The gift wasn’t available for purchase or search, and was automatically added to qualifying carts, giving it an air of real exclusivity.
Noted: Take a closer look at how it works & what results it delivered in this article.
3. Limit the Maximum Discount Value
Big discounts might look incredible at first, but can quickly hurt profits. Setting a limit will help you stay competitive without giving away too much.
Use an offer like “20% off — up to $50” to make customers feel they’re getting a good deal, but help your costs stay in control.
Notice: Never raise prices just to discount them later — it damages credibility and customer trust!
4. Discount on the Cheapest Item
Standard Buy X Get Y or bulk discount offers remained the most favorite promotion, but it can erode margins fast if not carefully managed.
Try discounting only the cheapest item to encourage customers to add more products because they still feel rewarded for buying more, but your store can keep a healthy margin.
Carefully decide the required number of products (e.g., buy 3 products, get the cheapest free) and select the product list customers will choose from.
Use case: The Body Shop (DK)
The Body Shop creates a “Buy 3, Pay for 2” offer where the free discount auto-applies to the cheapest item. By selecting mini-sized products for the list, they ensure that no matter which ones customers choose, profitability is maintained.
5. Cart value tier with non-percentage discount
Here’s the thing about percentage discounts - the more your customers spend, the more you may lose.
Smart shops set up cart value tiers that reward customers with a free gift or a “$ off”.
This keeps customers motivated to hit the next threshold while your margins stay under control.
Use case: Aosu Life (DE)
Aosu Life used a progress bar to display their cart value tier. Rather than offering percentage discounts, they went with “x€” rewards plus free gifts at each level.
Wrap-Up
Winning BFCM isn’t about offering the biggest discount; it’s about offering smarter discounts.
By applying these strategic promotion tactics, you can attract price-sensitive shoppers, stand out from competitors, and keep your profits strong long after BFCM ends.
If you’re ready to put all these margin-healthy tactics into action, get started with the BOGOS app!
Or explore promotion apps here.
Now that you’ve read this post, what are your pricing strategies for this BFCM 2025?
We’re glad you found the strategies helpful! Do you have any ideas for making those in-store promotions more visible online, so they can even show up in search results (on Google, ChatGPT, etc.) and attract more traffic? I’m thinking that combining intelligent pricing for BFCM promotions with solid SEO optimization could be a real power combo.
I’ve been struggling with a promotion idea for black friday, but now I’ve decided to go with your discount + upsell idea, maybe combine with gift as well. Do you think this approach works well for a cosmetics brand?