🗓️ Black Friday is in 31 days (Fri, Nov 27, 2026)
In 2026, Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, Black Friday is November 27, Small Business Saturday is November 28, Cyber Monday is November 30 and Giving Tuesday is December 1. Here's what a small online store should do, week by week and then day by day, to be ready.
| Date | Day | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 | Sunday | Daylight saving time ends: double-check scheduled send times |
| Nov 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving |
| Nov 27 | Friday | Black Friday |
| Nov 28 | Saturday | Small Business Saturday |
| Nov 29 | Sunday | BFCM weekend |
| Nov 30 | Monday | Cyber Monday |
| Dec 1 | Tuesday | Giving Tuesday |
Run your top 10–20 sellers through a discount calculation and note the maximum safe discount for each (see our discount calculator guide). Pick one main offer and write it in one sentence. Decide what's excluded. Check stock on featured products and reorder now; supplier lead times grow in November. Set your maximum ad cost per order.
Add an "early access" sign-up form or pop-up. Create a VIP segment of past buyers plus new sign-ups. Start two or three teaser posts. Refresh photos for the five products you'll feature most. Record the regular prices you'll compare against, and how long they've applied.
Write (or adapt) your emails, texts and ads. Send the early-access sign-up email (Nov 9–12). Build discount codes with start and end dates in the right time zone. Submit ads early, because platform review can be slow in late November. Update your shipping and returns pages with holiday cutoffs.
Send the "how our sale works" email (Nov 16–18) and a gift guide (Nov 19–21). Place a real test order with the discount on mobile and desktop. Confirm the discount ends exactly when you say it ends. Schedule emails and social posts through Black Friday. Prepare saved replies for support.
| Day | Text / social | |
|---|---|---|
| Mon–Wed, Nov 23–25 | Early access opens for VIPs; reminder 24 hours later to non-buyers | Early-access text to opted-in subscribers; teaser posts |
| Thu, Nov 26 | A light, warm Thanksgiving thank-you, with the sale start time | One "thank you" post; no hard sell |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Launch email in the morning; evening reminder to non-openers | "Black Friday is live" text and post |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Small Business Saturday story email | Behind-the-scenes post about your team |
| Sun, Nov 29 | Best-sellers / gift guide email | "Most-ordered" post using real order data |
| Mon, Nov 30 | Cyber Monday launch + last call ~4 hours before the end | Last-day text; final-hours story |
| Tue, Dec 1 | Thank-you email to buyers | Giving Tuesday post if you donate |
Need the subject lines for each slot? See Black Friday email templates and Cyber Monday subject lines.
If you planned an extension, announce it honestly and once. If you didn't plan one, don't fake one. Turn off codes and reset prices. Send the thank-you email, then a review request 7–10 days after delivery. Write down what worked while it's fresh: best email, best ad, products that sold out and products that didn't move.
You can still compress this into two or three weeks. Do the numbers and the offer first (one afternoon), set up early access, then write and schedule the six emails that matter most: early access, Black Friday morning, Black Friday evening, Cyber Monday morning, last call and thank-you. Our Black Friday checklist marks the must-do tasks.
The Black Friday Profit Kit 2026 has all 14 emails with full bodies and send dates, 16 SMS texts, 30 social captions, Google & Meta ad copy, 40 AI prompts, the 6-week checklist and an 8-tab profit calculator (Excel / Google Sheets).
🚀 Launch price: $19 for the first week, through Sun, Nov 1. It goes to $39 after Nov 1.
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Published October 27, 2026 by LUSRODRI, LLC. Examples are illustrations; your numbers will differ. Compliance notes are general information, not legal advice.