Hey team,

Before we get into the Black Friday deep-dive, we have some bragging to do. We were just named a PRWeek Best Place to Work for 2025, which you can admire right here. Cori also landed a sharp piece on why discounts are losing their magic, and PR Daily listed us as a top agency, because of course they did. Honestly, at this point we’re one compliment away from needing matching varsity jackets 😉.

Alright, let’s talk BFCM. Sales hit new highs, but the real story is a lot messier. Urgency is fading, shoppers are bored, and brands that relied on autopilot discounts felt it. The ones that won layered on something extra. Experiences, exclusivity, smart bundles. Basically anything that didn’t feel like the same recycled promo code.

Let’s dig in.

Becky and Greg

Reconsider success: Black Friday 2025 broke sales records, but did it really succeed?

TL;DR: According to Salesforce, Black Friday U.S. sales grew 3% to $18 billion this year. But many experts are finding a lack of purchase urgency that we’ve seen in years past. Trying to determine if Black Friday performance was a win or a fail might be a bit more complex this year.

Takeaway: First of all, it’s tough to do year-over-year comparisons with 2024 being an election year, which historically has shown lower retail sales. But even with that caveat, this holiday season is showing that blanket discounts alone aren’t enough to spark urgency. Shoppers are tired of the same markdowns, especially with inflation and economic uncertainty looming. The real wins this year went to brands who created an extra hook: limited giveaways, in-store experiences, early-access drops, bundled offers, and first-come-first-served perks that felt more exclusive than just another sale.

Consider:

• What added value (beyond a discount) can your brand offer this holiday season? Think of things like a giveaway, limited-quantity add-on, early-access sale, or bundled perk that makes your offer feel exclusive.

• Could your brand create a hybrid experience to make your holiday campaign feel more memorable? This might look like combining online promos with in-person or live events, community shoutouts, or limited-time bundles.

Shift your mentality: ‘Black November’ extended sales windows might be changing the season

TL;DR: What was once a busy two days of sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday has now morphed into “Black November,” as holiday-themed sales have moved up earlier and earlier. Many brands now launch holiday sales and promos at the start of the month, leading to skewed numbers and potential consumer overload.

Takeaway: Stretching this holiday sales window has a major domino effect. As we’ve already seen in this year’s performance, the sense of urgency that once fueled big BFCM weekend spikes is fading. When discounts are always offered, urgency is diluted. The extended window can be a useful opportunity to test messaging early, optimize over time, and build recognition over volume. But if you’re not ready to offer your discounts right after Halloween, this shift offers an opening for brands to warm up leads and hit them with your best discount when the actual sales holiday occurs.

Consider

• Turn holiday season campaigns into a lead-nurturing window rather than blasting one big promo right before the rush. Start early and build interest so when the time comes, your consumers are ready to convert.

• What value-add (exclusive insights, bundle offers, early-access demos, loyalty or VIP rewards) can you offer now to keep your audience engaged without resorting to deep discounts?

Build algorithmic trust: How brands are adapting to an AI agent-powered holiday sales season

TL;DR: This holiday season, many shoppers are turning to AI tools to help them find their perfect gifts, which means brands need to be increasingly focused on getting surfaced by AI assistants first rather than humans.

Takeaway: According to Adobe Analytics, AI traffic to U.S. retail websites grew 805% compared to Black Friday 2024 and shoppers who landed on a U.S. retail site from an AI service were 38% more likely to convert to a sale, versus coming from a non-AI traffic source. So, growing algorithmic trust in your brand isn’t just a concept, it’s clearly already reshaping the path to purchase. Brands must be optimized so they show up in the data-driven logic that AI agents use to decide what to surface or buy, which may require a shift in how you structure your product data, your site’s metadata, and even brand signals like reviews.

Consider:

• Are your product and brand data structured in a way that AI agents can easily understand? This might include details like site descriptions, clear metadata and product attributes, or transparent reviews.

• How can you make AI-agent readiness a core part of your marketing and product roadmap? Think of ways to optimize your site and content for both humans and AI discovery.

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