Press start
BFCM 2026
Black Friday and Cyber Monday prep for Shopify stores. The dates to remember, a checklist that saves as you go, and the guides we hand our own clients.
Ready, player one?
P1: Scrappy
Level map
Dates to remember
Every date that matters between now and New Year's. Cleared dates fade out, and the next one blinks.
-
Next up
Nov 16
Mon
Freeze theme and app changes
Our rule of thumb: no new apps, theme releases or integrations from here through Cyber Monday. Fixes only.
Our advice -
Next up
Nov 26
Thu
Thanksgiving
Sales start early. Adobe expects $6.9B in U.S. online sales on Thanksgiving Day alone.
Holiday -
Next up
Nov 27
Fri
Black Friday
Last year Shopify merchants peaked at $5.1M a minute, at 12:01 p.m. ET.
Sale day -
Next up
Nov 28
Sat
Small Business Saturday
Lean into local: in-store pickup, gift cards and a thank-you to your regulars.
Sale day -
Next up
Nov 30
Mon
Cyber Monday
Adobe forecasts $15.1B in U.S. online sales, the biggest day of the season.
Sale day -
Next up
Dec 1
Tue
Giving Tuesday
Pair an offer with a cause, or skip the promo and just thank your customers.
Heads up -
Next up
Dec 4–12
Fri–Sat
Hanukkah
Begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 4.
Holiday -
Next up
Dec 14
Mon
Green Monday
The second wave of December shoppers. Free Shipping Day usually lands around now too.
Sale day -
Next up
Dec 15–19
Tue–Sat
Last ground and Priority ship dates
FedEx Ground Economy on Dec. 15 through USPS Priority Mail Express on Dec. 19. Every carrier is in our free calendar.
Ship-by -
Next up
Dec 19
Sat
Super Saturday
The last Saturday before Christmas. Push gift cards and in-store pickup.
Sale day -
Next up
Dec 21–23
Mon–Wed
Last 2-day and overnight ship dates
UPS 2nd Day Air and FedEx Express Saver on Dec. 21, FedEx 2Day on Dec. 22, UPS Next Day Air and FedEx Overnight on Dec. 23.
Ship-by -
Next up
Dec 24
Thu
Christmas Eve
FedEx Same Day is the last option. Switch your messaging to e-gift cards.
Holiday -
Next up
Dec 26
Sat
Boxing Day and returns season
Gift card redemptions and returns begin. Have your return flow and an after-holiday offer ready.
Heads up
Ship-by dates come from our 2026 holiday shipping calendar; confirm with your carrier before you promise delivery. Sales forecasts: Adobe, via Chain Store Age. Shopify peak: Shopify BFCM 2025 results.
Quest log
The BFCM checklist
Six stages, from tuning the store to the after-party. Tick things off as you go. Your progress saves in this browser.
Level complete! Scrappy approves. Go sell something.
Stage 1Tune the machine
0/0Stage 2Load the offers
0/0Stage 3Stock the warehouse
0/0Stage 4Rally the players
0/0Stage 5Track the score
0/0Stage 6Bonus round
0/0Your ticks save in this browser, so you can come back any time. Nothing is sent to us.
High scores
Last year's leaderboard
- $14.6B Sold by Shopify merchants over BFCM 2025, up 27% on 2024
- $5.1M Per minute at the peak, 12:01 p.m. ET on Black Friday
- 32% Of BFCM 2025 orders on Shopify paid with Shop Pay
- $15.1B Adobe’s 2026 forecast for Cyber Monday, the biggest online day
Power-ups
Guides, tools and help
Things we’ve written and built that help with the season.
- PDF 2026 holiday shipping calendarEvery UPS, FedEx and USPS cutoff on one printable page.Download >
- Guide Holiday prep: preflight checklistOur pre-season walk-through for store owners.Read >
- Guide Shopify’s new discount stackingHow codes and automatic discounts combine, and how to merchandise with it.Read >
- Guide Shopify Rollouts, explainedSchedule and test changes without staying up until midnight.Read >
- Inspiration Gift wrap and a note, right in the cartA holiday add-on that raises order value.See it >
- Inspiration A gift card balance page, no app requiredFor the gift cards you’ll sell in December.See it >
- Inspiration Let shoppers build their own bundleBundles make a better offer than a straight discount.See it >
- Service Data & Systems AuditFind what breaks under load before the rush finds it for you.Learn more >
- Guide Measure twice. Cut once.How to review BFCM once the dust settles.Read >