Peak season is make-or-break for ecommerce. Consumers start searching for Black Friday deals as early as October, so visibility from day one of Q4 is essential. IMRG reports that 81% of retailers make more money when campaigns run longer, so starting early pays off.
Unlike 2023, when Black Friday fell before payday and pushed more buyers to Cyber Monday, this year is set up for a stronger BFCM despite the continued squeeze from the cost-of-living crisis.
Get Ready (July–September)
Verify measurement
Track CPA, ROAS, or POAS whichever you have available to get you closest to true profit. One way to calculate POAS is by adding COGS to your feed. Use the cost_of_goods_sold attribute via supplemental feeds, feed tools, or feed rules. This lets you see which campaigns, are driving profit so you can make smarter calls on budgets and bid strategies.
Forecast daily budgets and bid changes
CPCs climb in Q4 as competition spikes. Plan budgets with buffers so you can scale when demand surges, but also be ready to pull back on low-converting days to avoid wasted spend. This year’s trends should mirror last year’s, so use your own account data to guide forecasts. Taking note that Cyber Monday falls in December, so make sure your forecasts and budgets account for that.
Plan ahead for offer changes
Offer management becomes a full-time job in peak season.a Build a clear calendar of what’s changing and when. Push clients to finalise discounts and offers early. If they’re unsure, use competitive intelligence: Google’s Ad Transparency tool shows what rivals ran in previous years. At eCommerce Expo 2024, IMRG reported that 43% of retailers will continue to use “up to % off” messaging, so it’s a reliable choice for your campaigns too.
Define audiences early and lean on first-party data
Audience data fuels smarter bidding. First-party data is the most powerful signal: it’s unique to your brand, relevant to your products, and competitors can’t touch it. Apply it across campaigns. Good starting lists include past purchasers, lapsed shoppers, and gift buyers. Upload before October so algorithms have time to learn.
Final Takeaway
70% of shoppers are open to purchasing brands they’ve not heard of before, so it’s all to play for in 2025. Let’s get ready to win big this year.
