Influencing $3 billion in Black Friday sales, AI shopping agents automate both product discovery and price hunting. This ushers in an era of "self-driving shopping" that forces radical price transparency on retailers, as AI can instantly find the absolute cheapest option online for any product.

Instead of just a discount, companies like Magic Mind and AG1 boost conversions by bundling 'welcome gifts' like digital products or exclusive merch. This creates a unique, limited-time value that a simple percentage off cannot replicate, effectively sweetening the deal for customers.

Don't worry that BFCM shoppers are low-LTV "bargain hunters." The primary goal of the holiday sales period isn't acquiring loyal customers; it's maximizing revenue and boosting your overall blended ROAS. Focus on top-of-funnel acquisition in the months leading up to November.

Create extreme urgency by offering a high discount for a very short window (e.g., 30 minutes), then progressively lower discounts for subsequent time blocks. This gamified approach forces immediate purchase decisions by making customers feel they will lose out on the best deal if they wait.

BFCM customers buy on discount, not brand affinity, and rarely return. Brands must go overboard with post-purchase brand storytelling through multiple channels (email, ads, social) to reinforce the "why" and earn a second purchase from this transactional cohort.

For brands with one main product, Black Friday success hinges on two fundamentals. First, deeply understand your unit economics to define a clear target CAC/ROAS. Second, present an offer so simple it requires zero cognitive load. Any customer confusion immediately kills the sale.

A brand called Set Active created a campaign with a 25% discount for only 30 minutes, which then dropped to 20% for the next 30, and finally 15% for the rest of the day. This tiered scarcity model compels immediate purchases by creating a fear of missing out on the best deal.

With 58% of consumers worried about finances, over 40% are constantly hunting for deals on websites they've never visited before. This sustained deal-seeking behavior creates a massive, ongoing opportunity for challenger brands to capture market share from established incumbents whose customers are now actively shopping around.

Justify "too good to be true" discounts by tying them to real-life events, both positive (birthdays, holidays) and negative (unexpected bills, damaged goods). This authenticity makes the offer more believable and compelling to customers, increasing conversion.