Getting your business ready for Black Friday 2025

Every year, the build-up to the holiday season brings a surge of anticipation – for shoppers hunting down bargains and businesses chasing sales. At the centre of it all sits one moment that defines the rush: Black Friday. And in 2025, that moment lands on Friday, 28 November.

The tradition itself is still young in the UK. Amazon introduced it in 2010 with dramatic price cuts that grabbed headlines, and the model stuck. 15 years on, Black Friday has become a high-pressure contest where businesses of every size fight for attention in an increasingly crowded market.

This raises the real question: With weeks to go, how can your business cut through? This guide gives you the essentials to sharpen your plans and help you step into Black Friday 2025 fully prepared.

Prepare your website for higher traffic

Black Friday reliably brings in the year’s highest sales volumes. For online retailers, that translates into a sharp spike in website and app traffic: a moment of opportunity, but also of vulnerability. If your systems can’t cope with the demand, all the effort you put into marketing could unravel in seconds.

The risk often hides in plain sight. Businesses assume their platforms are ready, but the fundamentals usually fail under pressure. Something as simple as sluggish loading time can drive shoppers away before they even reach checkout. In fact, slow speeds remain one of the leading reasons customers abandon their visits.

• What economic challenges are UK small businesses facing?
• How to set up an online business in the UK
• The Rapid guide to starting a dropshipping business

According to research by strategy and research company Aberdeen Group, a loading delay of just one second can cause 5-6% of your online visitors to leave. A delay of two seconds can lead to 7% of desktop and 14% of mobile sessions being abandoned, and a three-second delay could cost you up to 21% of potential customers.

A spike in bounce rates can also harm your long-term reputation, creating negative brand perceptions that discourage new customers from returning.

Key performance benchmarks to check

If this is your first Black Friday, it helps to know how Google measures website performance. It focuses on three “core web vitals” – simple checks that show whether a site feels smooth or clunky for visitors.

1. How fast the main content shows up – this is called Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). Under 2.5 seconds is good; over 4 seconds feels slow.
2. How quickly the page reacts when you click or tap – this is Interaction to Next Paint (INP). If it responds within 200 milliseconds, it feels instant. Above 500 milliseconds feels laggy.
3. How steady the page is while it loads – this is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). A stable site scores 0.1 or lower. If things jump around (buttons, text, images), 0.25 or more signals a poor experience.

You can test all three with Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool, which shows results for both desktop and mobile. For stores running ads, this matters directly: weak scores mean you’re paying to send customers into a slow or unstable site.

Simple last-minute fixes

As well as technical audits, don’t forget to check the fundamentals:

• Confirm that discount codes work at checkout.
• Make sure Black Friday stock is clearly labelled and easy to find.
• Test both desktop and mobile journeys to ensure smooth navigation.

Your website is the primary gateway for many customers. Shoppers who can’t make it to your physical store will rely on your online presence to grab your best deals, so it’s essential that their journey feels seamless and frustration-free.

Stay in touch with your customers

Ideally, your Black Friday marketing should have started weeks ago. But with the event now just days away, it’s important to keep momentum going right through the weekend.

Shoppers want reassurance that the deals they’ve been waiting for are live, and as the weekend progresses, they’ll be eager to hear what’s still to come. Consistent communication helps you keep their attention while staying visible in a crowded market.

Use email and SMS to build urgency

Email and SMS are still two of the highest-converting channels during Black Friday – and use is growing. A survey by Sinch found that over 80% of consumers said that transactional messages are important during the holiday shopping season. And according to data from Spotler, businesses are adapting: retailers sent 10% more emails over the sales period in 2024 compared to 2023.

Email is still the preferred channel for most shoppers, but SMS has become the go-to for last-minute nudges and time-sensitive updates, especially as inboxes fill up fast. Together, they help you cover all bases: email builds anticipation while SMS prompts action.

Don’t forget social media

If email and SMS are your direct lines to customers, social media is where they browse, compare, and make snap decisions. And in the run‑up to Black Friday – and across the weekend – it’s one of the most powerful ways to stay visible, build anticipation, and remind followers exactly why they should buy from you.

And when it comes to revenue, the impact is real. Data from Emplifi showed that retailers increased their Meta ad spend by 90% ahead of Black Friday 2023, with click‐through rates rising as the event got closer. Meanwhile, social-first shopping is accelerating: on Cyber Monday, affiliate links from influencers and creators drove 20% of US e-commerce revenue, according to Business Insider.

So how can brands make the most of this? It comes down to staying active, reactive, and highly visible. Countdowns, reels, and stories can help tease what’s coming and showcase what’s selling fast. Regular updates throughout the day (not just once in the morning) help keep the momentum going.

Reflect urgency in your messaging

When planning your communication strategy, consider the role of urgency. In these final days (and even mid-event), FOMO (fear of missing out) can drive conversions.

If you won’t repeat certain deals, or stock is limited, be clear about it. For example:

• “This weekend only.”
• “Limited stock available.”
• “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
• “Don’t miss out.”

Provided the claim is accurate, time-sensitive keywords like these emphasise scarcity and encourage hesitant shoppers to act. But remember: urgency works best when paired with transparency. Customers should feel motivated, not misled, so only use these tactics where they genuinely apply.

Automate what you can, but stay human

Black Friday can move fast, and when you’re across email, SMS, social, and maybe even live chat, things can quickly become overwhelming. That’s where automation can help. It ensures your updates go out consistently, keeps campaigns on track, and allows you to focus on the moments that need a personal touch.

Tools like Klaviyo and Omnisend are increasingly popular with growing e‑commerce brands. They offer sophisticated flows that blend email, SMS, and even web push notifications. HubSpot remains a strong choice too, especially if you already use it as your CRM. Its advanced segmentation and reporting can add real depth to seasonal campaigns.

If you’re after something more straightforward or cost-effective, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp provide accessible options that plug easily into most websites. But automation doesn’t mean set-and-forget. Your audience still expects relevance and responsiveness. So while it’s smart to schedule your campaigns, make sure someone’s available to monitor performance, tweak messaging, and step in when real-time action is needed.

Manage risks with a contingency plan

As Black Friday approaches, every business hopes for a smooth weekend of trading. But high-pressure events bring risks, and even minor setbacks can disrupt sales. The best way to stay confident is to anticipate the most common problems and prepare responses in advance. Here are five key things to keep an eye on in 2025.

1. Technical failures and cyberattacks

One of the biggest threats is technical failure. Website or app crashes are common during peak periods, when traffic spikes overwhelm servers. If visitors are met with a “503 error” message, it means your server cannot handle the load. To reduce this risk, upgrade your hosting plan to increase capacity or invest in a backup server that can take over if your main system falters.

Sometimes a crash signals something worse: a cyberattack. Small retail businesses are particularly vulnerable during Black Friday. Research by technology firm Impact shows they are 50% more likely to be targeted than large enterprises, yet 73% remain unprepared. The financial and reputational damage can be severe.

One effective safeguard is to use performance and security platforms like Cloudflare. These provide multiple layers of protection – from securing your website and internal systems to offering features such as virtual waiting rooms during high-traffic periods. As a bonus, they also help improve site reliability.

2. Discount code errors

Another risk is simpler but no less damaging: faulty discount codes. Coupon-based promotions are a Black Friday staple but are also a frequent source of frustration. A code that fails to apply at checkout can sour the shopping experience and drive customers away.

A cart abandonment report by digital marketing platform Drip found that nearly half of consumers abandon their purchases due to broken codes. To avoid this, check that:

• The codes you share are correct
• Any exclusions are clearly explained in your marketing
• Codes are valid across the full promotional period
• Discounts apply smoothly at checkout

A quick manual test, such as adding a qualifying item to your cart and walking through checkout as a customer, can highlight issues before they arise. It’s also worth preparing your customer service team to handle problems quickly if they do occur. A short training session can ensure staff are ready to resolve coupon errors and keep customers onside.

3. Supply chain disruptions

Supply chains can also cause issues. Even with stock projections, delays may occur due to shortages, supplier failures, trade regulations, or extreme weather.

The long-term safeguard is diversifying your supplier base and keeping a backup option available. With only days left until Black Friday, that may not be realistic. Instead, consider inventory management software such as SKULabs or Netstock. These tools give greater visibility over stock, logistics, and warehouse operations, and provide data-driven recommendations to help you manage demand more effectively.

Having systems like these in place means fewer surprises and greater control when it matters most.

4. Financial risks

Black Friday 2025 arrives at a delicate moment. Last year, UK shoppers poured onto websites, pushing up transactions and briefly lifting spirits after a sluggish autumn. This year, though, the mood is different. According to research by Sinch, three in four consumers say they plan to spend the same or less, and caution is still setting the tone.

Yet the picture isn’t all flat. Confidence is beginning to return in certain pockets, and demand from international markets is showing steady growth. The best approach is to monitor market trends and consumer priorities. If inflation is steering buyers towards essentials, adjust promotions to make lower-ticket items more attractive. Smaller, accessible discounts may win more customers than steep reductions on luxury goods.

5. Competitive pressure

Finally, small businesses face the challenge of competing with larger brands. Typical Black Friday discounts range from 20% to 35%, but matching these reductions can be unsustainable.

The key is to think creatively. Instead of focusing solely on price cuts, you could:

• Offer bundle deals or 2-for-1 promotions
• Add a free gift with purchases above a certain amount
• Provide referral or review-based discounts
• Give customers a voucher for future use
• Adjust timing, by launching deals early or extending them beyond Cyber Monday

These strategies let you compete on value without undermining margins. Customers are not always looking for the cheapest price; many are looking for the best overall deal, the most convenient option, or the brand they trust.

Post-Black Friday: retaining momentum

The frenzy of Black Friday brings in a wave of new buyers, but the real challenge starts once the rush ends. Will those shoppers vanish after one purchase, or can you give them a reason to return? Retention is where short-term wins turn into long-term growth.

Here are three moves that make a difference:

1. Look back before moving forward. Start with a clear-eyed review of your campaign. Which promotions drew the most traffic? Where did engagement drop off? The lessons you learn from this year will sharpen your holiday strategy and every big campaign that follows.
2. Say thank you in a way that matters. A thoughtful note of appreciation, paired with a personalised offer or small loyalty perk, signals that you value the customer, not just the transaction.
3. Keep the holiday energy alive. The shopping season doesn’t end with Black Friday. Position your Christmas or year-end offers as a natural next step, giving customers an easy reason to circle back while they’re still in a gift-buying mindset.

Treat Black Friday as the beginning of a conversation with new customers, and the dividends will stretch far beyond a single weekend.

Finish strong, and keep your business running at its best

However Black Friday goes this year, it will shine a light on how your business performs under pressure. Maybe your site held up, but your inbox didn’t. Maybe customer queries spiked, or stock tracking got messy. These are signals – and solving them now could make the next big push easier.

That’s where the right support comes in handy. From company formation to registered office address services, we help new and growing businesses stay efficient, credible, and in control, all year round.