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Shopify Black Friday & BFCM Checklist

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can make or break your year. This 81-point checklist ensures your store is ready for the biggest shopping weekend.

81 items9 sections

Start Preparing Now

For many Shopify stores, this four-day period generates more revenue than entire months of normal trading. The difference between a record-breaking weekend and a disappointing one comes down to preparation.

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Planning & Strategy (8+ Weeks Out)

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Inventory & Fulfilment

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Site Performance & Stability

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Promotions & Discounts Setup

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Website Updates

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Email Marketing

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Paid Advertising

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Customer Service Preparation

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Final Pre-Launch Checks

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Why BFCM Preparation Matters

Customer expectations are elevated, competition is fierce, and concentrated traffic creates stress on every system in your business. Stores that prepare thoroughly capture disproportionate share of consumer spending.

The Cost of Poor Preparation

  • ×Site crashes during peak traffic send customers to competitors
  • ×Stockouts on bestsellers mean missing 3+ days of peak sales
  • ×Broken discount codes frustrate customers and create support chaos
  • ×Slow response times lose sales to faster competitors

BFCM Traffic Expectations

Most Shopify stores see traffic increases of 3-10x during BFCM. Your site, checkout, and fulfilment must handle this volume without breaking.

3-10x
Traffic increase
5x
Load test minimum
8 weeks
Preparation time

Critical Success Factors

1Site performance tested under at least 5x normal load
2Inventory planning with 20-30% buffer on bestsellers
3Customer service prepared with templates and extended hours
4Contingency plans for when things go wrong

Last-Minute Priorities

If you are short on time, focus on these essentials:

1. Test your discount codes

Place test orders with every discount code. Broken codes cause support chaos and lost sales.

2. Check stock levels

Verify inventory is accurate and you have buffer stock on hero products. Overselling creates customer service nightmares.

3. Remove unnecessary apps

Each app adds load time. Remove anything not essential for the sale period to maximise site speed.

4. Update FAQ page

Add BFCM-specific questions about delivery times, returns, and discount stacking to reduce support load.

Related Checklists

Complete your BFCM preparation:

Flash Sale Checklist →

Run time-limited offers during BFCM

Holiday Season Checklist →

Continue momentum through December

Speed Optimisation →

Ensure your site handles the traffic

Email Marketing →

Maximise email revenue during BFCM

Frequently Asked Questions

Start preparation at least 8 weeks before BFCM. This gives you time to order stock, create marketing assets, test your site under load, and set up all your promotions. Many successful merchants begin planning in September for the November sales period. Rushed preparation leads to stockouts, site crashes, and missed revenue opportunities.
Most Shopify stores see traffic increases of 3-10x during BFCM compared to normal days. High-growth brands can see even larger spikes, especially during flash sale windows. Run load testing to simulate at least 5x your normal traffic, and ensure your checkout can handle the volume. Shopify's infrastructure handles most scaling automatically, but third-party apps and custom code can create bottlenecks.
BFCM customers expect offers, but you do not have to discount heavily. Consider alternatives like gift with purchase, bundle deals, free shipping thresholds, or exclusive early access for email subscribers. If you do discount, protect your margins by excluding new arrivals or limiting quantities. Many premium brands offer their only discount of the year during BFCM without harming brand perception.
The most common mistake is inadequate inventory planning. Stores either under-order and sell out too quickly (losing sales), or over-order and are stuck with excess stock. Use last year's data, your marketing plans, and industry benchmarks to forecast demand. Build a 20-30% buffer for your bestsellers. Also have a plan for items that do not sell, whether that is post-BFCM discounting or return to regular pricing.
Prepare extensively before the weekend begins. Update your FAQ page with BFCM-specific questions (delivery times, return windows, discount stacking). Create response templates for common queries. Consider extending support hours or using a chatbot for simple questions. Set realistic response time expectations in your auto-responders. Brief your entire team on current promotions so anyone can help customers accurately.
Have a contingency plan ready. Know who to contact if your site goes down (Shopify support, your developer, app providers). Keep your developer on standby during peak hours. If a discount code breaks, have backup codes ready. If you oversell, communicate proactively with customers about delays. Most importantly, stay calm and document issues so you can prevent them next year.

Need BFCM Support?

Do not leave your biggest sales period to chance. Our team can help prepare your store for maximum performance.

Get BFCM ReadyTalk to Us