1. Tiered Discounts That Make Your AOV Explode 💰

Here's what most brands get wrong about BFCM discounts. They slap "30% off everything" across their site and call it a day.

Bad move.

When you give the same discount to someone buying one item versus someone buying five items, you're leaving serious money on the table. Your margins take the same hit regardless of cart size.

Smart brands flip this. Instead of blanket discounts, they use spending thresholds that actually push customers to buy more.

A cosmetics brand nailed this approach last year. They offered 20% off orders over $25, 25% off orders over $50, and 30% off orders over $75.

The psychology here is brilliant. A customer adds $24 worth of products to their cart and sees they're just $1 away from saving an extra 5%. Suddenly they're hunting for that $5 lip balm to cross the threshold.

Here's the magic, they don't just save more money. They spend way more money.

Say your average order value is typically $40. Structure your tiers around $49, $99, and $199. Customers will stretch to hit those thresholds, pushing your AOV through the roof compared to a standard percentage off.

The key is making each tier feel achievable, not insulting. If someone's cart is sitting at $48, that extra dollar to unlock 20% off feels like a no-brainer. But if your first tier starts at $200 and their cart is $45, you've lost them.

Set thresholds based on your actual product prices and what combinations make sense. And make sure your fulfillment team can handle the bigger orders when customers start bundling products like crazy.

2. VIP Early Access That Makes Customers Feel Special  ✨

Most brands treat all their customers exactly the same during BFCM. Big mistake.

Your best customers, the ones who've been buying from you all year. The same ones that get thrown into the same chaotic Black Friday madness as someone who just heard about your brand yesterday.

They're fighting the same server crashes, competing for the same inventory, and getting the same deals as complete strangers.

Here's a better way. Give your VIPs the red carpet treatment.

One apparel brand sent their loyalty members an exclusive "Pre-Access" email three days before Black Friday. The email included a password that unlocked 30-50% off their entire site - before anyone else could shop.

The password was simple: "BLACKFRIDAY". But that tiny barrier made all the difference.

VIP customers felt like insiders. They got first pick of inventory, avoided the Friday rush, and bragged about their exclusive access on social media.

The brand? They spread out their traffic, reduced server strain, and saw their most valuable customers convert at higher rates.

But here's the crucial part, don't just give VIPs early access to the same deals. Give them your best deals.

If regular customers get 30% off on Friday, give VIPs 40% off on Tuesday. Or throw in an exclusive gift that no one else can get. They need to feel genuinely rewarded for their loyalty, not just invited to shop earlier.

You can flip this into a growth strategy too. Create an "early access list" for new email subscribers. Tell them they'll get exclusive deals before they go public. Your list grows while you build anticipation for your main sale.

The psychology works because exclusivity triggers value perception. When something isn't available to everyone, people want it more. Even if the actual discount is similar, the VIP treatment makes it feel more valuable.

3. Bundles That Boost Cart Size Without Killing Margins 📦

Watch what happens when customers see a 30% off sale. They find exactly what they need, add it to cart, and checkout immediately.

One item. One transaction. Done.

Your average order value stays stuck while your margins take a beating on that single discounted product.

Bundles change this entire dynamic. Instead of discounting individual products heavily, you group complementary items together at an attractive combined price. Customers get better value, and you move more inventory per transaction without destroying your profit on each piece.

Here's how one electronics brand pulled this off. They bundled a bestselling phone case with a slower-moving screen protector and charging cable. The bundle price felt like a steal compared to buying each item separately, but their per-unit margins stayed healthy.

BOGO deals work the same magic. "Buy two, get one free" sounds generous, but it's effectively 33% off, often better than slashing individual prices by 50%.

The psychology works because customers focus on the total value, not the per-item cost. They're getting three products instead of one, so the deal feels bigger even if the actual discount is smaller. Choose your bundles strategically. Pair fast-moving products with inventory you need to clear. Or group items that naturally complement each other - skincare routines, workout gear sets, kitchen starter kits.

The key is making the combination feel intentional, not random. Customers should think "of course these go together" when they see your bundle. Set your bundle price so it's clearly better than buying items individually, but doesn't torch your margins like straight percentage discounts would. Your average order value climbs while you move more products per transaction. Win-win.

4. Gift With Purchase That Triggers More Spending 🎁

Customers will add $20 worth of products to their cart just to get a $5 free gift.

It makes zero logical sense. They're spending more money to save money. But that's exactly what happens when you nail gift-with-purchase offers.

The psychology behind this is wild. "Free" triggers something primal in our brains that overrides rational spending decisions. Even when customers know they're spending more to get the gift, they can't resist the deal.

One beauty brand offered a full-size product on orders over $120 during BFCM, on top of their regular discounts. Customers regularly added extra items just to hit that threshold, pushing their average order value way higher than a straight percentage discount would.

The magic happens in the gap between what customers have in their cart and your gift threshold. Someone with $95 worth of products sees they're $25 away from a free gift, and suddenly they're hunting for that perfect add-on item.

Set multiple gift tiers to keep this momentum going. "Spend $50, get a free keychain. Spend $150, get a free tote bag." Watch customers upgrade their entire order to hit the next reward level.

Your gift doesn't need to be expensive to be effective. It just needs to feel valuable and desirable. Use excess inventory you need to move, or create exclusive items that aren't available for purchase.

If physical gifts complicate your logistics, free shipping works as a strong alternative. Shipping costs are one of the biggest reasons people abandon their carts, so removing that barrier at a spending threshold drives similar behavior.

The key is making your thresholds feel achievable. If someone's cart is sitting at $45 and your gift starts at $200, you've lost them. But if they need just $5 more to unlock something free, they'll find a way to get there.

Your customers get more value, and you get higher order values without discounting every single item in your store.