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394. What Shoppers Actually Want This Black Friday

eCommerce Badassery · September 22, 2026 · 20 min

Summary

This episode dissects Tapcart's BFCM shopper survey, offering crucial insights for ecommerce businesses preparing for Q4. Learn what shoppers truly want this Black Friday, how to align your promotions and communication strategies with their expectations, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your holiday sales. It helps you ask better questions about your Q4 plans before you add one more thing to your to-do list.

Key takeaways

Themes

dtc strategyemail & smscustomer retentionanalytics & attribution

Topics covered

bfcm strategyshopper behavior insightspromotional offer optimizationemail frequency during salesloyalty programs for customer retentionai in product discoveryq4 planning

Episode description

Before you lock in your Black Friday plans, let’s talk about what shoppers say they want, and what that actually means for your business. I’m breaking down Tapcart’s BFCM shopper survey and sharing where I agree, what deserves a closer look, and how I’d approach these findings as an eCommerce strategist. From choosing your promotion to deciding how often to email, this episode will help you ask better questions about your Q4 plans before you add one more thing to your to-do list. In this episode: Who’s behind the survey and why that matters when interpreting the results What spending expectations can, and can’t, tell you about your customers Whether different shopper behaviors call for different marketing strategies How AI is influencing product discovery and shopping decisions When holiday shopping starts, and what that means for your promotional calendar Which offers shoppers say they prefer and how to weigh that against your own results How much communication customers are open to during a sale The role loyalty programs can play beyond the holiday season _______ Links Mentioned Full Show Notes https://ecommercebadassery.com/394 Holiday Resources https://ecommercebadassery.com/holidaypodcast The Lounge https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership _______ Learn With Me Work with Me 1:1 https://ecommercebadassery.com/ecommerce-help/ https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-marketing/ Courses & Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/programs _______ Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership _______ Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I’d be forever grateful if you’d rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it’s also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you wa

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Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Analyze shopper survey data critically, considering the source and its implications, rather than taking findings at face value.
What does this episode say about email & sms?
Tailor your Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotional offers and communication frequency based on actual shopper preferences, balancing them with your business profitability.
What does this episode say about customer retention?
Integrate loyalty programs into your holiday strategy to foster long-term customer relationships beyond the seasonal sales rush.
What does this episode say about analytics & attribution?
Strategically plan your promotional calendar by understanding when holiday shopping truly begins, impacting offer timing and marketing spend.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Consider how AI is influencing product discovery and shopping decisions, adapting your strategies to meet evolving customer behavior.

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