The countdown to Black Friday 2025 has officially begun.
This major shopping event has evolved into a month-long sales marathon, kicking off the holiday shopping season and presenting one of the biggest opportunities on the South African retail calendar as consumers hunt for the best deals, boosting online sales with incredible Black Friday deals.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it’s a golden chance to skyrocket revenue, clear old stock, and attract a wave of new, loyal customers. However, success doesn’t happen by accident.
The businesses that truly win are those that prepare with a clear, strategic plan. As the data shows, the Black Friday shopping surge is significant; in 2024, Lula’s SME client base saw a 34% increase in transaction volumes and a 29% jump in transaction values over the Black Friday period.
This highlights a massive opportunity, but also the critical need for preparation.
This guide is your comprehensive readiness checklist. We’ll walk you through the essential steps, from financial health checks and inventory management to marketing and website preparation, to prime your business for its most profitable Black Friday yet.
When is Black Friday 2025?
Get your calendars ready. The key dates for the biggest shopping event of the year are:
- Black Friday: Friday, 28 November 2025
- Cyber Monday: Monday, 1 December 2025
While these are the main event days, it’s crucial to remember that ‘Black November’ is the new reality. Your planning should accommodate the entire Black Friday week, culminating on the core Black Friday weekend.
Why Black Friday is a Golden Opportunity for Small Businesses
For an SME, Black Friday is far more than just a day of discounts. It’s a strategic opportunity to accelerate business growth in several key ways:
- Massive revenue boost: The sheer volume of consumer spending offers a chance to hit and even exceed annual revenue targets in a short period.
- Customer acquisition: Offering substantial discounts can entice new customers who may have been hesitant to try your products. This is your chance to convert them into loyal customers and build long-term customer loyalty.
- Increased brand awareness: The buzz and marketing push around Black Friday puts more eyes on your brand than any other time of year, for both growing e-commerce businesses and brick-and-mortar stores.
- Inventory clearance: It’s the perfect time to sell off older stock to make way for new products ahead of the festive season.
Your Black Friday 2025 Readiness Checklist
Success lies in the details. Use this checklist to ensure every part of your business is prepared for the surge.
1. Assess your financial health
Before you can plan for a massive influx of sales, you need to ensure you have the capital to prepare for it. This means ordering stock, increasing marketing spend, and possibly hiring temporary staff. Waiting too long to secure funds can mean missing out entirely.
“The lead-up to Black Friday is not the time to be scrambling for capital. Smart business owners assess their needs and secure funding months in advance. Having the cash flow to purchase inventory and run marketing campaigns is what separates a record-breaking sales weekend from a missed opportunity,” says Garth Rossiter, Chief Risk Officer at Lula.
Now is the time to review your cash flow and secure the necessary capital to fund your preparations.
2. Optimise your inventory management
Running out of your best-selling items mid-sale is a nightmare scenario. Now is the time to improve inventory management to avoid lost revenue and disappointed customers.
- Analyse past data: Use sales data from previous years to forecast demand for popular products.
- Talk to suppliers: Confirm lead times and order your inventory well in advance. If you need capital to place those large orders, inventory financing can bridge the gap.
- Have a back-up plan: Identify back-up suppliers if possible, just in case your primary source faces delays.
3. Ensure your e-commerce store is mobile friendly
As an online retailer, your e-commerce store is your storefront. It must be ready for a massive spike in Black Friday traffic.
A slow or crashing site is the fastest way to lose a sale during peak online shopping periods. The majority of online shoppers use their mobile phones when they shop online, so ensure your online store is fully responsive.
4. Market Black Friday promotions in advance
You can’t just launch discounts on the day and expect customers to show up. Successful marketing strategies for Black Friday require a multi-channel marketing strategy to build anticipation.
Here are a few Black Friday marketing tips:
• Start early: Begin teasing your upcoming deals in early November via email newsletters and social media.
• Create urgency: Use countdown timers on your website and in your emails to build excitement.
• Segment your email list: Offer your loyal customers exclusive discounts or other special deals in an early-bird preview, encouraging them to shop Black Friday with you first.
• Leverage social media: Run social media-exclusive deals or use platforms like Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes content showing your preparations.
• Bundle deals: Create attractive product bundles that increase the average order value.
5. Have a staffing and customer service plan in place
The sales surge brings a corresponding surge in customer queries, orders and support requests. Your team needs to be ready to handle the pressure with a smile. You can prepare by:
• Schedule smart: Ensure you have enough staff rostered on, both on the shop floor and managing online customer service channels.
• Train your team: Brief your staff on all the Black Friday offers and your returns policy to ensure they can answer customer questions confidently.
• Prepare for enquiries: Set up email templates and social media canned responses for frequently asked questions to speed up response times.
Streamline Your Black Friday Sales with Lula
Managing the financial side of a successful Black Friday – from paying suppliers for stock to processing a high volume of customer payments – requires a robust banking solution. This is where having the right tools becomes a competitive advantage.
“We see a dramatic spike in transactions during Black Friday. Business owners need a reliable system to manage that influx of cash securely and efficiently. It’s about more than just making sales; it’s about managing the money effectively,” says Rossiter.
Lula’s Free and Unlimited Business Bank Accounts are built for the pace of modern business. Features designed to help you during high-volume periods include:
Streamline payments: Easily manage bulk transactions with Payment Controls by delegating the submission and creation of payments to secondary users without losing the authority to approve or decline.
Business funding: Easier access to business funding online to take advantage of discounted stock prices in advance.
Clear transaction history: Easily track your holiday sales and expenses in real-time to stay on top of your financial position during the busiest retail period of the year.
Your Best Black Friday is Within Reach
Black Friday 2025 offers a powerful opportunity to significantly boost your business’s bottom line and customer base. By focusing on strategic preparation across your finances, inventory, website and marketing, you can move from hoping for a good sales weekend to planning for one.
This checklist provides the framework for success. Start preparing now, and you’ll be ready to capitalise on the biggest retail event of the year.
Ready to fund your Black Friday growth? Apply for Lula’s Fixed Term Funding today and get the capital you need to make 2025 your most successful year yet.
