Alex Greifeld’s proven playbook, shared at the Foxwell NYC Meet-Up
Why It Matters
Most brands treat BFCM as a customer acquisition event, but Alex Greifeld’s point is that the demand mostly comes from people who already know you, and the buyers you pick up in November and December tend to have the lowest LTV of the year. That changes how you plan. The offer should be one simple discount, your best of the year, at 25% off or more, built around bestsellers instead of clearance. The real money-maker is a VIP preview sale with a minimum spend threshold, followed by a four-day main sale layered with sweeteners and heavier email and SMS cadence. Following the herd or copying competitors is how brands lose money or burn out their audience, so building the plan around your own category, customers, and payback targets matters more than any “best practice.”
Who This Is For
Built for Founders members running DTC brands, or managing lifecycle, email, and promo planning for them, who are finalizing their BFCM offer and calendar. Especially useful if you’re debating whether to start early, unsure how to structure a VIP preview, or questioning whether your brand is truly a gifting brand before betting big on the holidays.
When it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), few voices are as respected as Alex Greifeld, an e-commerce veteran and sharp observer of what truly moves the needle. At the Foxwell Founders NYC Meet-up, Alex pulled back the curtain on what really works, what doesn’t, and how brands can avoid the most common (and costly) BFCM mistakes.
The Three BFCM Truths Brands Ignore (at Their Peril)
Before diving into tactics, Alex insists on three non-negotiable truths about BFCM:
Are you a gifting brand? Not every product is destined for a bow. If you’re selling collagen protein bars, don’t expect holiday gifting to be your tentpole event. Be honest about your category’s giftability before betting big on BFCM.
Where does demand really come from? For most DTC brands, BFCM demand comes from people who bought from you (or heard of you) in the past 3-4 months. It’s not a customer acquisition bonanza. With sky-high CPMs and a noisy ecosystem, converting cold traffic profitably is nearly impossible.
BFCM customers are your lowest LTV. Data doesn’t lie: customers acquired in November and December are almost always the lowest lifetime value segment. The holiday impulse-buying frenzy expands your in-market audience, but these buyers are less likely to return. Make sure your payback-period KPIs are realistic. Otherwise, you could end up losing money on every “win.”
The Rules for a Killer Black Friday Offer
So, what makes an offer actually work?
One Simple Discount. Shoppers are impulsive. Don’t make them do math. The more complicated your offer, the fewer will bite.
Your Best Offer of the Year. If you’re running 20% off once a month, don’t expect BFCM to move the needle at the same rate. The market knows when a deal is truly special.
Minimum 25% Off. Anything less and your offer won’t stand out. With social media and Reddit keeping brands honest, customers know what a real sale looks like.
Include What People Actually Want. BFCM isn’t the time to offload clearance. Put your bestsellers front and center, since that’s what people actually want.
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The Ideal BFCM Run of Show
Alex’s blueprint for BFCM success is simple and effective:
VIP Preview Period: Start with a private, early-access sale for your best customers (Tuesday–Thursday before Black Friday). Give them the best deal, but tie it to a minimum spend threshold.
Four-Day Main Sale: Run your best, simplest sitewide offer from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.
Sweeteners That Drive Action
Layer in “sweeteners” to keep the excitement high and give people a reason to return each day:
Time-boxed deals (e.g., 30% off for one hour)
Limited-quantity bundles or gifts-with-purchase
New bonuses or flash offers for email/SMS subscribers
The key is to make them relevant, genuinely valuable, and a little surprising. Instead of just giving away “free stuff,” focus on offering what your customers actually want.
The Secret Weapon: VIP Preview Sale
The real money-maker? The VIP preview sale. By targeting your most engaged customers with the best offer (but only if they meet a minimum spend), you drive up average order value and make your top fans feel special. These buyers often return for the main event too, especially if you mix in those irresistible sweeteners.
Who Should Get VIP Status?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. You might send the offer to your entire email or SMS list, or just the top 10% of customers. The more exclusive it feels, the more valued your VIPs will be—and the less risk you have of cannibalizing your main event.
The BFCM Communications Plan
During BFCM, you almost can’t email too much. Alex recommends plain-text emails (they break the pattern and land in the main inbox), with a schedule like:
Tuesday: 8am and 8pm
Wednesday: 8am
Thursday: 8am, 1pm, and 8pm
Don’t be afraid to ramp up your efforts during this period. Everyone’s inbox is flooded, and this is the one time of year when people expect more frequent emails.
Should You Start Early?
The short answer: it depends. Early BFCM sales mean lower CPMs and a shot at customer acquisition before the holiday madness. But you risk devaluing the main event and training your audience to wait for the “real” sale. Think carefully about your sales targets, inventory, and margin dilution before pulling the trigger, and know that customers are savvier than ever.
After BFCM: Mix Up Your Offers
Don’t let your BFCM offer get stale. Alex suggests changing up your messaging after Cyber Monday. You could highlight a different product category each day or offer bigger discounts on select items. The goal is to keep your audience interested and give them a reason to return.
Alex Greifeld’s Final Takeaway
Don’t just follow the herd. Brands that blindly copy competitors or chase “best practices” are the ones most likely to lose money or burn out their audience. Instead, take a data-driven, customer-centric approach tailored to your brand’s reality.
If you remember one thing: Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Do what’s right for your customers and your bottom line.
Want Alex Greifeld's full talk?
Replays · Foxwell Founders NYC 2026
Your Q4 Media Buying Crash Course
Eight sessions recorded live in New York, built to get your account ready before Black Friday. Sign up to watch Alex Greifeld's full talk, "The Ultimate Proven BFCM Offer Strategy," including her four rules for a BFCM offer and the VIP preview sale playbook.
