Not another Black Friday email

Do you remember seeing on the news people camping out in a parking lots, early morning lineups and watching people wrestle over TVs? I definitely do.

Today, you’ve probably noticed the “day” has stretched into an entire season, the doorcrashers moved online, and instead of one big splurge, a lot of people are quietly doing the math before they tap to buy.

As a strategist and in my classes, I’ve been wondering if people are still willing to spend this year, and on what specifically. How much does it matter when and where we’re spending, too?

What’s actually happening this year, already

I noticed several surveys signalling that Black Friday spending per person may actually dip for the first time in years. Why? It’s no surprise that inflation, tariffs and general economic anxiety push shoppers to be more cautious.

In the states, we’re still seeing growth, but not like before. A few early numbers:

• Adobe expects US online holiday sales to hit roughly $253 billion this season, up about 5% from last year.

• Already in the first 3 weeks of November, Americans have spent close to $80 billion online, up 7.5% year over year.

• American Thanksgiving Day itself set a new online record at around $6.4 billion, which is a 5.3% jump.

People are still shopping — just more selectively. 

Buy Now, Pay Later use is up over 10% so far this season, and mobile now accounts for just over half of online spending, which tells you how many decisions are happening in transit, between meetings, or on the couch.

Meanwhile in Canada: Value hunting and relational commerce

I remember when it was more of an American thing, but just saw a study suggesting that Black Friday remains the biggest retail event in Canada, with last year’s average spend around $488 and 2025 expected to set new records.

Deloitte said that Canadians plan to put about 1/4 of their holiday budget into Black Friday weekend, with 32% saying they’ll do most of their shopping across Black Friday–Cyber Monday.

Are you one of the 85% of people comparing prices, waiting for sales, and prioritizing discounted items more this year?

What’s interesting (and encouraging) is how we’re spending.

Reports are calling out a shift from pure “transactional” Black Friday to something closer to “relational commerce” — where supporting local and community-rooted businesses is seen less as a nice-to-have and more as a civic gesture. I think this is great news, and apparently, 2/3 of Canadians say they’re supporting more neighbourhood-owned restaurants and businesses than a year ago.

People still want deals — but they also want their dollars to mean something.

What’s the bigger story for brands and nonprofits?

A few patterns jump out that are worth paying attention to:

1. Awareness is maxed out. Trust isn’t. Globally, Black Friday awareness is now at 96%, and nearly 8 in 10 of those who know about it intend to shop. The battle isn’t about awareness, but if they trust you enough to buy from you at all.

2. People are trading hype for homework. Shoppers are researching weeks in advance, spreading purchases out, and leaning into practical choices like gift cards and flexible payment. Maybe you’ve done the same? Black Friday is becoming less of a one-day blowout and more of a signal that shopping “officially” starts now.

3. Value now includes values. Discounts still matter, but they’re not the whole story. Community, ethics, sustainability, and how you show up the other 364 days of the year are all part of the “deal.”

So as a marketer and strategist, I see today less as a single performance metric and more as a brand stress test…

• Have you built enough trust that people will choose you when their budgets are tight?

• Does your offer feel like a race to the bottom, or an invitation to invest in something that aligns with their priorities?

• Are you treating this as a quick attention spike, or as one chapter in a longer relationship?

This applies whether you’re selling SaaS, event tickets, or year-end campaigns for your nonprofit.

What’s on in my world this week

While I’m not out shopping (teaching today), there are 3 things relating to this time of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday that I’m involved with:

• Nonprofit? The Black Friday Bundle for Nonprofits

• Matcha fan? Maker Matcha’s Black Friday Bundle

• Into the arts? Create/Change: Toronto’s Giving Tuesday Collab

Below, I’ll share more details about these, starting with the nonprofit bundle.

If they’re not of interest to you, then you’re done reading this week’s edition 🙂 

Thank you for being here!

Nonprofits: Save time and make more money (and impact)

Nonprofits don’t need more random tactics or another one-off webinar. They need time back, practical tools their team will actually use, and support to hit their 2026 goals without burning out their staff.

That’s why I keep participating in things like The Black Friday Bundle for Nonprofits. I’ve been part of a few bundles over the years, and I know many of the folks who contribute. The value is actually wild compared to what you’d usually pay for one good workshop or template, let alone dozens.

Why this bundle matters right now

In the final stretch before 2026, many nonprofit teams I hear from are:

• Juggling year-end campaigns and reporting

• Trying to improve digital fundraising and storytelling

• Wanting better systems, but not ready to hire a full agency or new staff

This bundle was put together with this in mind. It’s designed to help organizations make small, doable changes that can have a big impact on next year’s fundraising, marketing, and operations.

The Black Friday Bundle for Nonprofits is back, and I’m participating along with The Good Growth Company. For just $97, you get a curated collection of 32+ nonprofit-focused templates, workshops, and mini courses, plus my own resource, The Content Strategy Guide for Small Nonprofits: Raise Awareness & Build Your Organization’s Reach Through Organic Content Online (without Burnout). Some of these offers aren’t even available outside this bundle.

If you know a nonprofit that could use these, or you’ve been looking for a simple, one-stop way to upgrade your fundraising, marketing, and communications for 2026, this is a very accessible way to do it.

The bundle offer expires this coming Monday, December 1st.

Thanks so much for reading!

— Daniel