Black Friday & Cyber Monday: How to Compete Without Slashing Prices

The leaves on the trees are changing, the night's are pulling in, there's a little bite in the Autumn air and a familiar sense of dread mixed with opportunity begins to brew for small to medium business owners across the world.

Even as we enter September (can you believe that!), the Christmas shopping juggernaut is fast approaching, spearheaded by two of the most formidable days on the retail calendar; Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

For many, the strategy for these days seems simple: slash prices, hope for volume and try to survive the frenzy. But for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), competing on price against retail giants like Amazon, Tesco and John Lewis is a losing battle. It just becomes a race to the bottom. Their economies of scale and purchasing power are weapons you simply cannot match.

So, does that mean you should sit this one out? Absolutely not!

Photo by Justin Lim on Unsplash

In my experience, the secret to winning the Black Friday and Cyber Monday game isn’t to play the price-slashing game at all. It’s to change the rules entirely!

In this blog I wanted to give you 6 ways that will help you rewrite your playbook for competing, thriving and building lasting customer loyalty during the peak season, without sacrificing your margins.

A Brief History: What Are Black Friday & Cyber Monday?

Before we dive into strategy and for those who don't know, let’s quickly cover the basics.

Black Friday

It's the name given to the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday (the fourth Thursday in November). The term’s exact origins are a little murky, but it’s widely believed to have started in Philadelphia in the 1960s to describe the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic that occured on the day after Thanksgiving.

Retailers later reinvented the term, spinning the "black" to signify the point in the year when their accounting books moved from "red" (loss) to "black" (profit).

It has since evolved beyond the US into a global phenomenon marked by early openings, deep discounts and a chaotic start to the festive shopping season that isn't isolated to one day in November.

Cyber Monday

This was a term originally coined by the National Retail Federation in 2005, when they noticed a recurring spike in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

The prevailing theory was that people returning to work would use their faster office internet connections to continue their shopping. It was initially positioned as Black Friday’s online counterpart focussing on electronic and technical products.

Today, with high-speed home internet access and the power of smartphones becoming ubiquitous, the distinction between the two days is largely blurred, with "Cyber Week" now a common term for the entire online discount period that seems to be starting earlier and lasting longer every year.

Compete Without Slashing Prices: How To Do It Right Now!

In my 20+ years of experience in marketing and retail, I've seen all too often that reducing prices is the first and often only solution too many businesses have when faced with the festive period.

It might seem counter-intuitive but the fact is your business, regardless of the sector you're in, can compete without slashing prices and here's how to do just that.

The High Cost of Deep Discounts

As I just touched upon, engaging in a race-to-the-bottom price war is a dangerous strategy for an SMB and here’s why:

• Eroded Margins: Your profit per item plummets. You have to sell significantly more volume just to make the same amount of money, placing immense pressure on your operations, which are often stretched already.

• Devalued Brand: Consistently deep discounting trains your customers to wait for a sale. They begin to perceive your regular prices as inflated and lose the incentive to buy at any other time of year.

• Attracting the Wrong Customers: The customers you attract with the deepest discounts are often one-time, transactional buyers. They are loyal to the lowest price, not to your brand, and are unlikely to return unless another steep sale is running.

The alternative is to leverage what makes your business uniquely powerful: its agility, its story and its direct connection to its customers. Here’s how to compete and win.

(Incidentally, if you want to find out more about making your business more agile, here's a blog you'll like)

1. Master the Art of Bundling

Instead of discounting a single product, create irresistible value by bundling products together.

This increases the average order value (AOV) and allows you to move inventory while maintaining healthier margins. This can include:

• The Complementary Bundle: Pair a bestseller with a slower-moving item. For example, a local coffee roaster could bundle a bag of their most popular coffee with a limited-edition mug and a bag of homemade biscotti.

• The "Complete Solution" Bundle: Offer everything a customer needs for a specific task or experience. A skincare brand could create a "Winter Skincare Rescue Kit" with a cleanser, serum, moisturiser and a facial oil.

• The Experiential Bundle: Go beyond physical products. A board game cafe could bundle a popular game with a gift card for coffee and pastries.

The key is to present the bundle at a price that feels like a deal compared to buying the items individually, without drastically cutting into your profitability.

2. Create Scarcity with Limited Editions

People want what they can’t have anywhere else. Use the hype of Black Friday / Cyber Monday to launch exclusive, limited-edition products or colourways.

This creates a powerful fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) effect that has nothing to do with price.

• Collaborate: Partner with another complementary local business or artist to create a unique, co-branded product. This instantly expands your reach to their audience.

• Special Packaging: Design special holiday packaging for your best-selling products. The unboxing experience (which can become content for influencers, creators, etc.) becomes part of the gift.

• Early Access: Reward your most loyal customers (your email list and social media followers) with early access to these limited editions. This makes them feel valued and drives sales before the general public even gets a chance.

3. Leverage the Power of Value-Adds and "Killer Content"

Your value proposition isn’t just the product; it’s the entire experience surrounding it. Understanding this helps you add immense value without touching the price tag.

• Free & Fast Shipping: This is the number one incentive for online shoppers. If you can absorb the cost or set a reasonable threshold for free shipping ("Spend £100, get free next-day delivery"), you will instantly compete with Amazon Prime.

• Gift Wrapping & Personalisation: Offer beautiful, free gift wrapping with a handwritten note. This saves your customers time and adds a deeply personal touch they can’t get from a big box store.

• Educational Content: Create content that adds value. A yarn shop could offer a free "Beginner’s Scarf Knitting Pattern" downloadable with any purchase of yarn and needles. A gourmet food store could create video tutorials on how to build a cheeseboard with the products they sell. This positions you as an expert, not just a seller. No matter what you sell, there will be a market for it.

4. Run a "Give Back" Campaign

Modern consumers, especially younger generations, increasingly prefer to support brands that align with their values.

Use this period to highlight your mission and show your ethos to the world.

• Donate a Percentage: You could announce that for every purchase made during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday period, you will donate a percentage of sales to a specific, local charity. Promote this partnership heavily and utilise their audience too.

• Buy One, Give One: If it fits your business model, adopt a TOMS-style initiative. "Buy one blanket, and we'll donate one to a local animal shelter." or similar.

• Transparency: Be specific. Don’t just say "we give back" or something generic, say something like "10% of all proceeds will go to the [Insert Charity or Good Cause] to provide meals this festive season." This tells a powerful story that a simple 10% off coupon never could.

5. Double Down on Customer Experience (CX)

The Customer Experience is your ultimate superpower as a small-to-medium business, so don't underestimate it.

Large corporations struggle with impersonal, robotic customer service, but you can excel at it through:

• Proactive Communication: Send clear, helpful emails about posting deadlines, stock levels and return policies. You're aiming to reduce anxiety and build trust.

• Exceptional Support: Have real, knowledgeable people ready to answer questions via chat, email, or phone. Empower them to solve problems creatively and kindly.

• Create Community: Use social media to host live Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks at your preparation and interactive polls. Make your customers feel like they are part of your brand’s story.

6. Craft a Pre- and Post-Campaign Strategy

The battle isn’t just fought on the last weekend of November. It’s won in the weeks leading up to it and the weeks following into the New Year and the sales that will generate.

• Build Your List: Well before November, run a giveaway or offer a lead magnet (like a small discount or a useful guide) to grow your email list. Your email list is your most valuable marketing asset; you own it and it’s direct!

• Tease Your Offer: Don’t announce your entire strategy on the day. Start teasing your limited editions, bundles and give-back campaign (whatever they may be) a week or two in advance to build anticipation.

• Focus on Loyalty: After Cyber Monday, shift your messaging to "Small Business Saturday" (29th November 2025) and "Giving Tuesday" (2nd December 2025). Focus on gratitude. Thank your customers for their support. Offer a special perk for returning customers to encourage a second purchase.

Your Action Plan: Competing with Confidence

If you've struggled to maximise your impact on Black Friday, make this year the time to shift your mindset.

You are not a big box store or online behemoth and that is your greatest strength. Your customers aren’t just buying a product; they are buying a story, a connection and a value set.

1. Plan Early: Start crafting your bundles and limited editions now in September. Make it on your marketing strategy for next year.

2. Choose Your Leverage: Pick 2-3 strategies from this list that best fit your brand. Will you focus on incredible bundles, a powerful give-back campaign, and flawless CX? Don’t try to do everything at once.

3. Create Your Calendar: Map out your email and social media content for the entire month of November, building anticipation and guiding your audience to your sale.

4. Empower Your Team: Ensure everyone, from packaging to customer service, understands the "why" behind your strategy. Their enthusiasm will be contagious.

Conclusion

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." - Proverbs 11:1

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not just about moving units; they are an unparalleled opportunity to introduce thousands of new customers to what makes your business truly special.

Remember to compete on value, not on price, and if you do that, you won’t just survive the festive season but you’ll build a foundation of loyalty that will fuel your business for years to come. #BelieveInSuccess

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Many thanks for taking the time to read my post. I hope you liked. Let me know your thoughts? What does your business do to optimise Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Do you go all-in or sit it out? What sales and marketing techniques do you use that work for you? Let me know in the comments below.

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