Black Friday eCommerce tips: Turn one-time buyers into loyal customers

Black Friday. It’s one of — if not the — biggest day in the retail calendar. In 2024, US online shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion on Black Friday, up 10.2% year-over-year. 

But what about after Black Friday? Sure, the influx of new shoppers taking advantage of your latest discounts is great, but what if you could retain more of those buyers into 2026 and beyond? 

That’s where the real challenge lies. Black Friday delivers traffic, but you’ll have to work harder to earn long-term loyalty.  

Here’s how to build a Black Friday eCommerce strategy that makes seasonal success last all year long. 

Tip #1: Don’t treat new Black Friday shoppers like strangers 

Big discounts bring new customers in, but if all they get is a coupon code and a shipping notification, they’ll disappear just as quickly.  

Our tips: 

• Plan your follow-ups before the sales come in. Automate those post-purchase emails with helpful content, relevant to the product that’s been bought. Think style inspiration or ‘shoppers also purchased’ — not another discount. 

• Reward early loyalty. Offer VIP perks or ‘thank you’ credits in January when inbox competition is low. 

• Make fulfillment an important part of brand experience. Branded, reliable packaging and clear communication turn first-time buyers into long-term customers. 

McKinsey research tells us that 71% of consumers expect businesses to deliver personalized experiences, while 76% feel frustrated when companies fail to meet these expectations.  

If your buyers feel like they’re just part of the crowd, you could risk losing them to a competitor who’s nailing the personalization game. 

Tip #2: Make sure the post-purchase experience doesn’t end at delivery 

You’ve shipped the package, and it’s arrived safely at your customer’s door. Job done, right? Wrong. 

A lot of brands see delivery as the finish line, but for your customer, it’s only halftime. Black Friday brings volume, and volume brings mistakes: wrong sizes, late gifts, second thoughts.  

When your customer has a change of heart (or worse, they aren’t happy with their experience), it’s how you respond that defines whether they buy from you again. 

Our tips: 

• Make returns easy. This is a big one. A poor returns process can quickly turn changed minds into “I’ll buy from somewhere else next time.” Offer pre-printed labels, simple drop-offs, and clear communication from start to finish. 

• Refund fast. The quicker customers get their money back, the more likely they are to spend it with you again (especially with Christmas just around the corner). 

• Keep it personal. Use branded, friendly return confirmations and be proactive with your updates. The more the customer knows, the better they’ll feel. 

Post-purchase care isn’t just logistics; it’s marketing in disguise. The sooner you start seeing returns as a second chance to impress, the better. 

Tip #3: Make the most of your data 

Don’t see Black Friday as just a sales spike (even though those extra sales are great). It’s a goldmine of behavioral data, which can set you up for success in your marketing and future promotional campaigns. 

Our tips: 

• Segment new customers. What they bought, where they came from, if they reordered. You can use this information to determine how you market to each customer. 

• Connect fulfillment and sales. Make sure your channels are speaking to each other so you can see why customers buy, not just what they buy. 

• Use your return data. In the battle of returns, keep a close eye on why customers are returning items to get ahead of any recurring issues. 

And remember this: smart data turns your fulfillment into a real business asset, not just a process that gets items from A to B. 

Tip #4: It’s a marathon, not a sprint (although Black Friday is race day) 

If you build your entire Q4 strategy around one weekend, you’ll find yourself sitting around waiting for lightning to strike.  

And with Cyber Monday and Christmas hot on Black Friday’s heels, you’ve got to keep one eye on the big weekend and one eye on the future. 

Our tips: 

• Automate your re-engagement. Have automation do the dirty work for you; things like purchase anniversaries, replenishment reminders, and personalized product recommendations work a treat.  

• Think beyond November. Don’t waste the momentum that Black Friday can bring. If you treat shoppers as one-time customers... well, you can guess the rest. 

• Review what worked. Sorry to keep bringing up data, but it is really important. Post-event analytics reveal which offers worked and which aren’t worth repeating — priceless information for the holiday season, January sales, and Valentine’s Day. 

A rolling engagement strategy keeps customers active between big events, not just during them. 

Tip #5: Build your fulfillment for loyalty 

You could have the best product in the world, but this only goes so far. If things are a mess behind the scenes, you can destroy customer trust faster than they type in your latest coupon code. 

Inconsistent tracking, a frustrating returns process, poor communication; they’re all quick ways to make customers run for the hills. 

Our tips:  

• Use connected fulfillment technology. When we say ‘connected,’ we mean tech that speaks to your other channels. The more visibility you have under one roof, the better. 

• Offer easy returns and fast refunds. Up to 80% of shoppers won’t buy from you again after a bad post-purchase experience, so it’s vital to invest resources into the moments after a parcel reaches a buyer. Cut shipping times and return costs with domestic or international returns hubs. 

• Keep inventory visible. Overselling what’s out of stock is a bad look. Make sure your website and sales channels are synced in real-time with your fulfillment. 

Consistent and effective fulfillment is the quiet foundation of long-term loyalty. Customers might not thank you for getting it right, but they’ll definitely remember if you don’t. 

Tip #6: Don’t measure the wrong success 

New revenue is exciting, but retention is profitable. Customers who buy more than once spend 62% more on average (and are active on more than one weekend of the year). 

Our tips: 

• Track the right data. Is there an echo in here? We promise, this is the last time we mention the word ‘data’ — but it is important. As well as sales, track your repeat-purchase rates and customer lifetime value (CLV). 

• Extend your KPIs. Yes, ‘what sold fastest?’ is a key metric, but don’t forget about ‘who bought again?’ — here’s where you figure out what’s bringing buyers back. 

• Measure fulfillment and delivery as CX goals. On-time delivery, first-contact resolution, and return turnaround times are just as important as conversion rates. 

When your brand focuses on relationships instead of rushes, everything starts to scale. 

Build loyalty that outlasts hype 

Black Friday eCommerce tips are everywhere, but a lot of them focus on getting through one weekend out of 52. Remember, lasting growth comes from strategy, not flash sales. 

We’d never play down the importance of events like Black Friday, but memorable shopping experiences, reliable fulfillment, and relationship-building put products in customers’ carts long after Cyber Monday has been and gone. 

Success lies in breaking records in November and forming relationships that pay off in March, July, and beyond.