Why September Is The Real Start Of BFCM

BFCM does not really begin on Black Friday. For many Shopify stores, the real work starts much earlier, when shoppers begin planning, comparing, budgeting, and discovering brands.

Shopify’s 2025 holiday data shows that 26% of shoppers start holiday shopping by the end of September (Source: Shopify). That means stores waiting until November may already be behind.

For merchants who want to start your Shopify store before BFCM, September is not too early. It is the month to prepare product pages, offers, checkout, email lists, ads, inventory, and trust signals.

This guide explains what Shopify holiday data says, why September matters, and how store owners can build a stronger BFCM plan before traffic becomes more expensive and shoppers become harder to win.

Shopify Data Shows BFCM Starts before November

The strongest reason to start early is simple: shoppers start early. Shopify’s holiday research shows that BFCM is no longer only a November weekend. It is part of a longer shopping season.

Shoppers start earlier than many stores expect

If more than one in four shoppers begin holiday shopping by the end of September, then November-only planning is too late. By the time a store launches its first serious campaign, some customers may already have a shortlist.

That does not mean every store needs to discount in September. It means stores should start preparing the buying path earlier.

Spending is rising, but budgets are tighter

Shopify reports that planned BFCM spend increased from $155 in 2024 to $192 in 2025, but 51% of shoppers plan clear spending caps and 23% plan stricter budgets (Source: Shopify).

This creates a different type of buyer. They may still spend, but they need stronger reasons to choose one brand over another.

BFCM demand rewards stores that prepare early

Shopify merchants generated $14.6 billion in global BFCM sales in 2025, up 27% from the previous year, with more than 81 million consumers buying from Shopify-powered brands (Source: Shopify).

That scale is exciting, but it also means competition is intense. Stores that prepare in September have more time to test, learn, and fix weak points before peak traffic arrives.

Why September Matters for Shopify Stores

September matters because BFCM performance depends on work that cannot be rushed in one week. Audience building, offer testing, product proof, checkout cleanup, and retention planning need time.

Audience building needs time

A cold shopper in November is expensive. A warmer shopper who has already seen your brand, joined your list, read product content, or interacted with a campaign is easier to move toward purchase.

That is why September should focus on attention and trust. Stores can publish product guides, test lead magnets, grow email and SMS lists, and warm retargeting audiences before discount season becomes crowded.

Offers need testing before traffic peaks

A BFCM offer should not be guessed at the last minute. Stores need time to test whether shoppers respond better to bundles, free shipping, gift-with-purchase, tiered discounts, limited sets, or early-access deals.

Shopify’s BFCM strategy guidance gives examples of brands starting customer-facing holiday activity in September and building holiday storytelling by the end of summer (Source: Shopify).

Product pages need proof before shoppers compare

BFCM shoppers rarely judge only the discount. They also look for reviews, product fit, delivery timing, return policy, sizing, photos, and trust signals.

Merchants who want to prepare your Shopify store for holiday traffic should treat September as the month for product-page proof, not only campaign planning.

What Early Holiday Shoppers Are Really Doing

Early shoppers are not always ready to buy immediately. Many are researching, saving ideas, comparing gifts, checking prices, and deciding which brands deserve attention later.

They are setting budgets

Shopify’s holiday data shows that many shoppers are planning spending caps and stricter budgets (Source: Shopify). This means they are thinking about value before they reach checkout.

Product pages should help them justify the purchase. Show what is included, who the product is best for, how it compares, and why buying now makes sense.

They are comparing value

Value is not only a lower price. It can include bundle savings, faster shipping, better materials, longer use, easier returns, loyalty rewards, or a clearer gift experience.

For BFCM, stores should make value visible. A vague discount is weaker than a clear reason to buy.

They are checking trust before buying

Early shoppers often browse before they commit. They may visit product pages, read reviews, compare shipping policies, and decide whether a store feels reliable.

If the store looks unfinished in September, the shopper may not return in November. Trust needs to be built before the sale banner appears.

AI Discovery Makes September Even More Important

AI shopping tools add another reason to prepare early. Shoppers may use AI to shortlist gifts, compare product types, find deals, or ask what to buy for a specific person.

Shoppers use AI before they choose stores

Shopify reports that 64% of shoppers plan to use AI tools for holiday shopping, rising to 84% among shoppers aged 18 to 24 (Source: Shopify).

This means some shoppers may discover brands through AI-assisted research before they ever click a store link. Clear product information becomes more important.

Product content needs to answer better questions

AI-assisted shoppers may ask detailed questions. They might search for the best gift for a runner, the best skincare set under a certain budget, or the best kitchen tool for a small apartment.

Product pages should answer questions directly. Include use cases, specs, FAQs, gift guidance, comparison details, and clear shipping information.

Shopify stores need cleaner product data

A store with unclear titles, thin descriptions, missing variants, weak images, or confusing policies is harder for shoppers and AI tools to understand.

When you build a BFCM-ready Shopify store, organize product data before peak season. Better product clarity supports both human shoppers and AI-influenced discovery.

What to Fix on Shopify before October Ends

By the end of October, the store should already be ready for serious holiday traffic. November should be for launch, monitoring, and optimization, not basic store repair.

Product pages

Product pages should explain the product clearly, show strong images, include reviews where available, answer common objections, and make the offer easy to understand.

For gifting products, add who it is for, what problem it solves, what is included, size or variant guidance, delivery expectations, and return details.

Checkout flow

Shopify’s BFCM strategy guidance says 48% of shoppers will abandon an online purchase if checkout takes too long (Source: Shopify).

That makes checkout speed and clarity important before BFCM traffic arrives. Test the cart, checkout, payment methods, discounts, shipping rates, taxes, and confirmation emails before campaigns go live.

Shipping, returns, and trust signals

Holiday shoppers care about timing. They want to know whether a gift will arrive on time, what happens if it is wrong, and whether the store is safe.

Show shipping deadlines, return policy, payment trust, contact information, and delivery expectations clearly. Do not hide the answers in a footer.

Partnered with Shopify: This guide includes Shopify links for merchants who want to build ecommerce stores, prepare product pages, and launch before holiday traffic peaks.

Why Waiting Until November Costs More

Waiting until November can make every decision more stressful. Creative production, ad testing, email growth, inventory planning, and checkout fixes all become harder when the sale is already near.

Ad costs rise when everyone starts promoting

BFCM is crowded. More brands are bidding for attention, sending emails, pushing social ads, and launching discounts at the same time.

Starting earlier gives stores more time to build warm audiences. Retargeting someone who visited in September or October can be more efficient than trying to win a cold shopper during peak noise.

Inventory decisions become rushed

Holiday demand can create stockouts, slow fulfillment, or overstock. None of those problems are easy to fix in November.

Use September to identify likely hero products, bundles, gift sets, and slow-moving items that may need promotion.

Email and retargeting lists are too small

A store with a small email list and weak retargeting pool has fewer owned channels during BFCM. That makes the store more dependent on paid traffic at the most expensive time.

Use September to collect leads, offer early access, build wishlists, run quizzes, publish gift guides, and capture shoppers who are still researching.

A September-to-BFCM Shopify Checklist

A simple timeline helps merchants avoid last-minute chaos. The goal is not to do everything at once. The goal is to move from preparation to testing to launch.

September: audit and prepare

Review product pages, analytics, bestselling products, inventory risk, email flows, customer segments, shipping timelines, and checkout experience.

This is also the month to set up your Shopify storefront early if you are launching a new store before the holiday rush.

October: test and segment

Test offers, landing pages, ads, emails, bundles, discount logic, cart messages, and checkout behavior. Segment customers by past purchase, product interest, location, and engagement.

October should reveal what is working before November traffic becomes more expensive.

November: launch and optimize

By November, the focus should shift to execution. Monitor traffic, sales, inventory, conversion rate, abandoned checkout, average order value, and customer support questions.

Do not rebuild the store during peak traffic unless necessary. Optimize based on live signals.

How Shopify Helps Stores Prepare Earlier

Shopify can support early BFCM preparation because merchants can build product pages, manage orders, review analytics, add apps, and test the store before holiday traffic arrives.

Build product pages before peak traffic

Product pages should be ready before the sale. Use September to improve copy, images, variants, bundles, product recommendations, reviews, and FAQs.

For a new store, this is the time to test Shopify before the holiday rush and make sure the storefront feels complete.

Track traffic, checkout, and sales behavior

Shopify analytics and reports can help merchants review traffic, landing pages, sales, products, and customer behavior (Source: Shopify Help Center).

Those signals help stores decide which products to promote, which pages need work, and where shoppers drop off before buying.

Add apps and automations before BFCM pressure

Apps and automations should not be installed for the first time during peak sale hours. Reviews, email marketing, loyalty, upsells, bundles, subscriptions, delivery tools, and helpdesk workflows need time to test.

Set them up early, check whether they work on mobile, and make sure they do not slow down the buying experience.

Final Thoughts

September is the real start of BFCM because shoppers do not wait until Black Friday to begin thinking. Shopify’s holiday data shows that discovery, budgeting, AI research, comparison, and early planning all begin before peak sale weekend.

For Shopify stores, that changes the job. September should be used to build audiences, strengthen product pages, test offers, clean up checkout, plan inventory, and prepare customer journeys before traffic gets louder and more expensive.

The stores that perform well during BFCM are often not the ones that rush hardest in November. They are the ones that make the buying decision easier long before the sale begins.

FAQ

Why should Shopify stores start BFCM planning in September?

Shopify reports that 26% of shoppers start holiday shopping by the end of September (Source: Shopify). Starting in September gives stores more time to build audiences, test offers, improve product pages, and prepare checkout before peak traffic arrives.

What does Shopify holiday data say about early shoppers?

Shopify’s 2025 holiday data shows that planned BFCM spend rose from $155 in 2024 to $192 in 2025, but 51% of shoppers plan spending caps and 23% plan stricter budgets (Source: Shopify). Early shoppers are comparing value, not just waiting for discounts.

How can Shopify merchants prepare before Black Friday?

Merchants can audit product pages, improve shipping and return clarity, test checkout, build email segments, prepare bundles, review inventory, and track early shopper behavior. New sellers can build a BFCM-ready Shopify store before the holiday rush begins.

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