When should I start planning my Black Friday email strategy?

Start planning in September, at least 8 to 10 weeks before Black Friday. This gives you time to build your list, create content, set up segments, prepare email templates, and test everything before the high-pressure week. The brands that win BFCM are the ones that prepare earliest.

How many emails should I send during Black Friday week?

During BFCM week, most brands send 5 to 8 emails across the full week. Your most engaged segments can receive daily emails during the peak period (Thursday to Monday). Less engaged segments should receive 2 to 3 emails. The key is segmenting by engagement level so you do not over-send to people who are not interested.

Should I adjust my Klaviyo flows during Black Friday?

Yes. Pause or modify flows that conflict with your BFCM campaigns. Adjust abandoned cart flows to reference BFCM offers instead of standard messaging. Consider shortening flow delays to match the urgency of the event. Pause winback flows that might send confusing messages during the sale.

What discount should I offer for Black Friday?

This depends on your margins and brand positioning. Most UK ecommerce brands offer 20 to 30 per cent off for BFCM. Some premium brands offer smaller discounts (10 to 15 per cent) or bundle deals instead. The key is making the offer compelling enough to drive action without destroying your margins.

How do I retain Black Friday customers after the event?

Immediately add BFCM buyers to a dedicated post-purchase flow that thanks them, sets expectations for delivery, and introduces them to your brand. In January, send a targeted re-engagement campaign to turn BFCM deal-seekers into regular customers. The goal is converting one-time bargain hunters into repeat buyers.

Klaviyo Black Friday Playbook: The Complete BFCM Email Strategy

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the single biggest revenue opportunity of the year for UK ecommerce brands. And email is the single biggest revenue channel during BFCM. In a typical BFCM week, email generates 25 to 40 per cent of total online revenue for brands with a well-managed Klaviyo email marketing services account.

This playbook covers everything you need to plan, execute, and follow up on a BFCM email strategy that maximises revenue during the event and retains customers afterwards.

Why BFCM is your biggest email opportunity

During BFCM, customers are actively looking to buy. Purchase intent is at its highest point of the year. Email cuts through because subscribers have opted in to hear from you — unlike paid ads, which compete with every other brand for the same eyeballs.

BFCM email revenue benchmarks

Email typically drives 25 to 40 per cent of total BFCM revenue for brands with mature email programmes
Flows (especially abandoned cart) see 2 to 3x normal conversion rates during BFCM
Campaign open rates increase by 10 to 20 per cent as customers actively check for deals
SMS generates an additional 5 to 15 per cent on top of email during BFCM

BFCM email revenue opportunity for UK ecommerce brands — Email is the single biggest revenue driver during Black Friday week, generating 25 to 40 per cent of total revenue.

The BFCM timeline: when to start

Timeframe	Activity
September (10 weeks out)	Plan offer structure, set revenue targets, begin list building
October (6 weeks out)	Design email templates, write copy, set up segments
Early November (3 weeks out)	Build campaigns in Klaviyo, test all links and rendering
Mid-November (1 week out)	Final list clean, adjust flows, send teaser campaigns
BFCM week	Execute campaign schedule, monitor performance, adjust in real time
December (1 week after)	Launch post-BFCM retention flows, analyse results

Pre-BFCM list building

The larger and more engaged your list is going into BFCM, the more revenue you will generate. Start aggressive list building in September and October.

List building tactics

BFCM-specific popup — Replace your standard popup with one that offers early access to Black Friday deals in exchange for an email signup
Landing page — Create a dedicated BFCM signup page and drive paid traffic to it
Social media promotion — Promote email signup across your social channels with early access as the incentive
SMS collection — Collect phone numbers alongside emails for a multi-channel BFCM approach

A good pre-BFCM list building campaign can grow your list by 20 to 40 per cent in the two months before the event. For more on forms, see our Klaviyo forms guide.

Segmentation strategy for BFCM

Do not send the same emails to everyone. Segment your list so each group gets the right frequency and messaging:

Core BFCM segments

VIP customers (top 10% by spend) — Early access, exclusive deals, highest send frequency
Active engaged (opened/clicked in last 30 days) — Full BFCM campaign schedule
Moderately engaged (opened/clicked in last 90 days) — Key BFCM emails only (3 to 4 sends)
Lapsed customers (purchased before but not recently) — Re-engagement offer with BFCM discount
New subscribers (signed up via BFCM popup) — Welcome + BFCM offer combined

BFCM segmentation strategy for Klaviyo — Segment your list by engagement level and customer status to optimise BFCM send frequency and messaging.

Campaign scheduling plan

Week of BFCM

Day	Email	Audience
Monday	Early access announcement	VIPs only
Tuesday	Early access opens	VIPs + active engaged
Wednesday	Teaser / last chance for early access	Full active list
Thursday (Black Friday eve)	Sale launches tonight / countdown	Full active list
Friday (Black Friday)	Sale is live + best deals highlight	Full list (including moderate)
Saturday	Weekend deals / category spotlight	Engaged + openers from Friday
Sunday	Last chance messaging	Active engaged
Monday (Cyber Monday)	Cyber Monday deals + final call	Full list

Flow adjustments for BFCM

Abandoned cart flow

Update your abandoned cart emails to reference the BFCM sale. Shorten delays — during BFCM, send the first cart recovery email within 30 minutes to 1 hour instead of the usual 2 to 4 hours. The urgency of limited-time deals means faster recovery attempts are warranted.

Welcome flow

Adjust your welcome flow during BFCM to immediately deliver the signup incentive and highlight the active sale. New subscribers during BFCM expect instant gratification.

Browse abandonment

Shorten browse abandonment delays and update messaging to reference BFCM deals. See our browse abandonment guide for the base setup.

Flows to pause

Consider pausing winback flows, sunset flows, and review request flows during BFCM week. These non-urgent flows can conflict with your sale messaging and confuse customers.

Klaviyo flow adjustments for Black Friday — Adjust flow timing, messaging, and active status during BFCM week for maximum impact.

Subject lines that cut through

During BFCM, every brand is emailing. Your subject line needs to stand out in a crowded inbox.

What works

Specificity over vagueness: "30% off everything" beats "Big sale inside"
Urgency that is genuine: "Ends midnight" when it genuinely ends at midnight
Personalisation: Include the customer's name or a product they browsed
Simplicity: Short, direct, scannable

What to avoid

ALL CAPS (triggers spam filters and looks desperate)
Excessive emojis (one is fine, five is not)
False urgency (do not say "last chance" on Wednesday if the sale runs until Monday)
Generic language that every other brand uses

Post-BFCM retention strategy

BFCM brings a surge of new customers, many of whom are bargain hunters. The real profit comes from converting them into repeat buyers.

Immediate post-purchase (days 1 to 7)

Order confirmation with delivery expectations
Thank you email with brand story and values
Product care or usage tips relevant to their purchase

Re-engagement (January)

New year promotion targeted at BFCM buyers who have not returned
Product recommendations based on their BFCM purchase
Subscription or loyalty programme invitation

Track what percentage of BFCM first-time buyers make a second purchase within 60 days. This is the true measure of BFCM success — not just the revenue during the event, but the long-term customer value it creates.

BFCM email success is determined months before the event. The brands that win are those that build their lists early, segment intelligently, plan their campaigns methodically, and follow up with retention strategies that convert one-time buyers into loyal customers.

If you want help planning and executing your BFCM email strategy, get in touch. We start BFCM planning with clients in September through our Klaviyo email marketing services.

Klaviyo Black Friday Playbook: The Complete BFCM Email Strategy