Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the ultimate battleground for ecommerce brands. The right strategy can lead to massive sales; the wrong one can mean getting lost in the noise. This year, shoppers are savvier, quicker to scroll past irrelevant promotions, and more likely to buy from brands that understand their unique preferences and shopping habits.

The key to generating BFCM sales lies in personalizing every touchpoint of your funnel, from generational targeting to behavior-driven offers. In fact, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands deliver personalized experiences.

For our annual BFCM Consumer Trends 2024 report, we partnered with a market research firm to survey over 1,000 consumers and gathered insider strategies from top global brands. We’ve compiled those actionable insights here to help you connect with each customer segment in ways that resonate most.

For marketing VPs and managers looking to boost their BFCM campaigns, personalization is key. Let’s explore how you can tailor your strategy by generation and shopping behaviors to maximize engagement and drive results.

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1. How to personalize BFCM advertising when targeting Gen Z — without overwhelming them

Appeal to your audience’s generational differences with personalized messaging. Each age group spends time on various platforms, consumes unique content, and has different priorities. By tailoring your messaging to align with these preferences, you can create more relevant BFCM campaigns that resonate with each generation, improving engagement and increasing your chances of conversion.

The biggest generational differences come down to where each age group spends their time: on traditional media platforms like TV or social media platforms. Let’s dive deeper into what each generation expects —and how to optimize your strategy for maximum impact.

This year, Gen Z is a mixed bag. Their BFCM shopping habits are unique, requiring a careful balance between digital and store experiences. While they’re highly engaged on social media platforms, they still value the social and tangible experience of in-store shopping, likely because they crave both authenticity and convenience. To reach them, you have to meet them where they are — whether that’s online or offline.

Here are some interesting takeaways from this year’s data:

• 43% of Gen Z is most likely to hear about sales on Instagram, making it a top platform for this generation.
• Yet, nearly 40% of Gen Z plan on shopping in-store, compared to the cross-generational average of 34%, making this a notable trend for the young generation.
• Gen Z is still the generation most likely to feel annoyed by BFCM advertisements, yet they also find BFCM the most appealing of any generation.
• In a reversal from 2023, Gen Z is the least likely to say they’ll unsubscribe from emails during BFCM. Only 7% of Gen Z reported increased unsubscribe rates, compared to 24% the previous year. 
• Gen Z is slightly more likely to hear about sales from Instagram (43%) than TV ads (40%). TV outranks all other channels for every other generation.

The takeaway: Gen Z requires a subtle hand — you need to maximize their interest without overwhelming them with messaging. Consider running both digital and in-store promotions to capture their interest across channels. Most importantly, keep email content concise and value-driven to maintain engagement without triggering unsubscribe rates.

To dive deeper into Gen Z habits, read How are Gen Zers shopping this BFCM?

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2. Optimize your BFCM strategy for Millennial Shoppers with a mobile-first approach

Millennials are highly engaged mobile shoppers, preferring to browse and make purchases through apps over desktops. They often seek convenience and speed in mobile experiences, especially when it comes to the checkout process.

Here are some standout facts from this year’s report:

• Only 1 in 6 Millennials think a mobile app is unnecessary, and 89% say they’ve downloaded a mobile shipping app from a favorite brand. 
• Of the surveyed Millennials who say they’ll shop online, 82% said they’d do their BFCM shopping on a mobile app.
• Millennial’s most influential channels for BFCM purchases are TV ads, social media influencers, social media ads, and promotional emails. They prioritize digital engagement and a mobile-first experience.

‍The takeaway: To capture Millennial shoppers, focus on optimizing your mobile app for a fast, easy-to-use experience. Prioritize streamlined navigation, one-click checkout, and multiple payment options like Apple Pay, ShopPay, or Klarna to reduce friction and boost sales. Given their preference for digital engagement, ensure your promotions are mobile-friendly and align with the channels they trust most.

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3. Engage Gen X shoppers this BFCM with practical, value-driven offers

Gen X shoppers are pragmatic and methodical, making them more likely to prioritize value and reliability over trends. This generation tends to stick with brands they trust, and they respond better to traditional marketing methods than to social media or newer digital channels. Gen X also appreciates personalized messaging that speaks directly to their interests.

Key insights from this year’s data:

• Gen X is now the most likely generation to unsubscribe more during BFCM than other times of the year, but still with relatively low numbers at only 13%.
• TV ads, print ads, and emails are the most persuasive to Gen X, making traditional marketing more successful than social media and newer digital marketing channels.
• For Gen X, messages irrelevant to their interests are a significant reason for unsubscribing, while they are the generation least likely to report “too many messages” as their top reason (56%).

The takeaway: Gen X responds best to reliable messaging and value-driven offers, like BOGO deals or 20–30% discounts. Tailor your content to emphasize loyalty and practicality, and use trusted channels like TV, print, and email to capture their attention and boost conversions.

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4. Capture Baby Boomer BFCM shoppers with value-driven offers and app perks

Baby Boomers are traditional, value-driven BFCM shoppers, and while they may be slower to embrace mobile shopping, they are still highly engaged when the value is clear. This generation is more likely to purchase from SMS than push notifications, signaling that direct and familiar communication is key.

What we know about Baby Boomers’ shopping habits this year: 

• Older generations are more likely to be swayed by lower minimum discounts. 42% of Boomers say they’d consider a minimum discount of 20–25%. Their willingness to buy at lower discounts is likely due to their overall purchasing power.
• Boomers are the generation most likely to have a budget (53%) and most likely to be purchasing gifts for others (71%).
• While this generation prefers traditional shopping methods, when they use a mobile shopping app, they overwhelmingly like access to VIP customer perks (47%).

The takeaway: Don’t overlook Baby Boomers and leave them behind in your mobile app strategy. Simplify their shopping experience by offering clear value through app-exclusive discounts and VOP perks. Use familiar communication methods like SMS to capture their attention and drive conversions while showing how mobile commerce can fit seamlessly into their shopping routine.

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5. Boost BFCM conversions with behavior-based personalization

Personalizing your BFCM messaging goes beyond demographics — understanding shopping behaviors can significantly improve customer engagement and conversion rates. By leveraging behavior-driven data, you can craft highly relevant experiences for each shopper, creating deeper connections and boosting sales. 

Klaviyo flows drive the most revenue per recipient (RPR) because they send messages automatically based on someone’s behavior. According to Yotpo, nearly 40% of customers are unhappy with generic messages, so it’s essential to create relevant content. Using customer data to send personalized messaging boosts engagement, making customers feel valued and connected to the brand.

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6. Identify behavioral insights for smarter offers

Analyzing customer behavior is crucial to understanding their preferences. Use data from your Shopify online cart analysis report to uncover trends in what customers are buying together. This data will help you create bundles and tailor your offers for maximum impact during BFCM.

Here’s how to get started:

• Analyze Cart Trends: Check for products that have been added to the same cart in the last 30 days. If you see the same few products purchased together 5–10% of the time or more, bundle them into discounted offers for BFCM.
• Leverage Shopify Audiences: Create custom audiences based on demonstrated buyer behavior to ensure your ads reach those most likely to convert, maximizing the effectiveness of your ad spend.

The takeaway: Behavior-driven bundling helps boost your average order value and provides a personalized shopping experience that feels relevant to the customer’s needs.

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7. Tailor your strategy for new and returning customers

Customer behavior differs between new and returning shoppers, and your BFCM strategy should reflect that. To create more relevant and engaging campaigns, focus on personalizing offers based on whether a customer is shopping with your brand for the first time or returning for a repeat purchase.

Key insights to guide your strategy:

• 54% of shoppers say they shop for new brands and brands they know, highlighting the need to balance your marketing offers.
• Cater to both first-time and repeat customers to maximize engagement.
• Be cautious when heavily focusing on first-time shoppers. For example, 55% of Baby Boomers report feeling annoyed when brands focus too heavily on first-time shoppers and might see it as a snub.

The takeaway: Craft balanced messaging that speaks to both new and returning customers. Offering loyalty perks to returning customers while introducing first-timer deals can create a more inclusive experience, ensuring both groups feel valued.

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8. Perfect your promotional offers

Craft your promotional offers based on your target audience. Gen Zers might need higher discounts to sway them than older generations. And most shoppers (44%) prefer discounts over other promotional offers like BOGO and gifts with purchase. 

Here’s how to approach your offers:

• Use a mix of discounts and other incentives like BOGO deals and gifts with purchases.
• Cater exclusive offers to VIP customers, such as early access to BFCM sales or app-exclusive promotions.

The takeaway: Try combining discounts and BOGO offers to drive conversions while making your most engaged shoppers feel special. Rotating these offers throughout your BFCM campaign keeps things fresh and exciting for customers. Start testing early to perfect the promo by the time the big day arrives.

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9. Retarget high-intent customers to increase conversions with Shopify Audiences

Retargeting high-intent customers remains among the most effective strategies for maximizing BFCM conversions. By focusing on those who have already interacted with your brand, you can significantly improve your return on ad spend. You can leverage Shopify Audiences to target high-intent buyers, extending the reach of your personalized messaging across major ad networks.

Here’s how to get started:

• Use Shopify Audiences to segment high-intent buyers based on their behavior, such as demonstrated interest in similar products.
• Leverage ad networks like Meta to deliver tailored messaging directly to these audiences, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

The takeaway: Shopify Audiences lets you focus your ad spend on quality leads, ensuring your BFCM promotions reach the right customers — ultimately increasing your conversion rate.

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Take these personalization tactics into BFCM and beyond

As you fine-tune your BFCM campaigns, remember that personalization is not just a one-time effort — it’s a long-term strategy that strengthens customer relationships and builds loyalty beyond the holiday season. 

If you’d like to strengthen your personalization efforts and dive deeper into the minds of consumers ahead of BFCM, take a look at the full report >