Black Friday 2026 is Friday, November 27. Cyber Monday follows on Monday, November 30. Both fall after US Thanksgiving (November 26), kicking off the busiest online shopping stretch of the holiday season. If you run a print-on-demand (POD) store, that’s your deadline to be ready to make money.
Here’s every date you need, what to expect from this year’s deals, and a 7-step plan to get people to buy without giving away your profit.
When is Black Friday this year?
Black Friday falls on November 27, 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving. The date changes each year because Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November. Black Friday always lands between November 23 and 29.
Here are the dates for the next five years:
| Year | Thanksgiving | Black Friday | Cyber Monday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | November 26 | November 27 | November 30 |
| 2027 | November 25 | November 26 | November 29 |
| 2028 | November 23 | November 24 | November 27 |
| 2029 | November 22 | November 23 | November 26 |
| 2030 | November 28 | November 29 | December 2 |
There’s no official start time, so companies run their promotions whenever they want. Physical shops set their own opening hours, while online stores follow each retailer’s announced schedule and time zone. Some companies open their sales with early deals in October or the start of November. Amazon, for example, started its 2025 Black Friday deals on November 20 and ran them through Cyber Monday.
When is Cyber Monday 2026?
Cyber Monday is on November 30, 2026.
It’s the biggest sales event for online shopping, with promotions across brand websites, marketplaces, and retail apps.
Although the name points to Monday, individual companies decide when their deals start and end. Some online stores switch promotions after the weekend, while others keep the same deals running.
Check the expiry time before assuming online deals last until midnight in your location.
Black Friday vs Cyber Monday
Black Friday includes in-store and digital promotions. Cyber Monday focuses on eCommerce. The deals overlap, and neither event guarantees the lowest prices for every category.
| Black Friday | Cyber Monday | |
|---|---|---|
| When is it in 2026? | November 27 | November 30 |
| Where do people shop? | Physical stores, websites, and apps | Online, through websites and apps |
| Expected US online spending in 2026 | $12.9 billion | $15.1 billion |
| Deepest discounts expected on | TVs, toys, apparel, appliances, and furniture | Electronics and computers |
| What should POD sellers promote? | Gift collections, matching apparel, and selected bestsellers | A last-chance offer, a bundle, or a reminder that the weekend sale ends tonight |
Treat the weekend as one campaign with a clear sales schedule. If your offer changes on Monday, explain what’s different so customers know whether to buy now or return later.
Why is it called Black Friday? A quick history
The shopping-related use of “Black Friday” traces back to Philadelphia in the 1950s. Police used the name for the heavy traffic and crowds arriving after Thanksgiving, ahead of the Saturday Army-Navy football game.
By 1961, local merchants were trying to replace the name with “Big Friday.” Black Friday eventually became associated with retail deals and promotions and the start of the Christmas shopping season. The popular story about stores’ books going from red (loss) to black (profit) came later, in the 1980s.
What is Cyber Week, and what should sellers expect?
Cyber Week is the five-day period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. In 2026, that’s November 26-30. Some companies and retailers use the label for longer campaigns, so always check the dates attached to a deal.
More purchases happen before the weekend ends
In 2025, US online spending totaled $11.8 billion on Black Friday and $14.25 billion on Cyber Monday. The five-day total was $44.2 billion, and Black Friday grew faster than Cyber Monday for the second consecutive year.
For 2026, Adobe forecasts $12.9 billion in spending for Black Friday and $15.1 billion for Cyber Monday. Prepare your product listings and emails before Thanksgiving rather than saving every deal for Monday.
Discounts vary by category
The strongest 2026 deals are expected on electronics, tech accessories, and computers on Cyber Monday. In contrast, apparel, toys, TVs, appliances, and furniture are expected to reach their deepest reductions on Black Friday.
Shoppers will compare your offer to what Amazon and big-box retailers are running. Still, set your discount based on your own costs. A 30% markdown at Walmart or on Amazon says nothing about how much room you have after production, shipping, fees, and advertising.
Mobile browsing needs a smooth checkout
In 2025, shoppers using mobile devices accounted for 57.5% of Cyber Monday purchases. Test your online store on a phone, including product options, discount codes, and payment screens.
Make gift information easy for shoppers to find: sizing, materials, personalization instructions, and estimated delivery. People should know exactly what they’re ordering before they pay.
How can print-on-demand sellers prepare for Black Friday?
To prepare your POD store for Black Friday, build a focused gift collection, set a discount your margins can handle, and have your store, deals, and fulfillment ready before Cyber Week starts on November 26. The 7 steps below walk you through them in order, leaving enough time to fix problems before the rush.
1. Choose a focused gift collection
Start with a small selection of products from the Printify Catalog. Build it around one group of gift buyers and what they’re shopping for: matching family sweatshirts, teacher mugs, or personalized gifts for pet owners.
- Review your store’s order history and visitor data to identify designs people already show interest in.
- Order samples early enough to check print quality and shoot your own product photos.
- Keep it tight – a focused collection reduces the number of listings you need to update.
2. Set prices that leave room for profit
Calculate the total cost of each order in Google Sheets or Excel. Include production, shipping, marketplace, or payment fees, and expected advertising costs. Add a buffer for refunds or replacements.
Example
A custom t-shirt has a regular price of $30, and your estimated total variable cost is $20. A 20% discount brings the price to $24, leaving $4 before fixed business costs and taxes. Marketplace and payment fees are usually a percentage of the sale, so recalculate them at the discounted price.
Run this math before you pick a discount percentage. Selling more at a loss won’t make the campaign profitable.
3. Pick one clear promotion
Give customers a simple deal they understand immediately. Depending on your margins, choose a discount on selected items, a bundle, or free shipping above an order threshold.
- Selected discounts – reduce prices on a few proven designs and keep lower-margin options at their regular rate.
- Bundles – pair related gifts, such as a sweatshirt and a mug. Check shipping charges for each item before setting the bundle price.
- Shipping thresholds – calculate how much people need to spend for you to cover delivery and still make a profit.
Set the offer in your sales channel’s promotion tools, such as Shopify Discounts, Etsy’s Sales and Discounts settings, or Promotions in Amazon Seller Central. Test eligibility, exclusions, code stacking, and the final total. For the smoothest shopping experience, keep prices and savings claims accurate.
4. Prepare your store for gift buyers
Update product descriptions with size charts, materials, care instructions, and clear personalization steps. Use consistent photos and mockups so visitors understand what’s included.
For independent websites, compress large images and check page speed with Google PageSpeed Insights. Place a test order on mobile and desktop to confirm payment, confirmation emails, and discount calculations.
If you sell on Amazon, review your listings and shipping settings in Amazon Seller Central. Set handling times that match your real production time, especially for made-to-order gifts.
Read more: How to sell Print on Demand on Amazon
5. Advertise the offer before it starts
Build a short campaign in your email platform, such as Klaviyo or Mailchimp: an early preview, a launch announcement, and a final reminder. Send marketing emails to shoppers and subscribers who have opted in.
Create Instagram posts, TikTok videos, or Pinterest Pins showing the gift being used, worn, or personalized. For online campaigns, include the discount, eligible collection, expiry time, and a link to the relevant page.
For paid campaigns, set budgets in Meta Ads Manager or your chosen platform based on the profit left after the discount. Track cost per purchase and pause ads that cost more than the margin they generate.
6. Plan production, shipping, and cash flow
Delivery time is production plus shipping time. Check Printify’s network fulfillment status and shipping rates for your selected Print Providers and destinations. Publish realistic estimates and monitor updates throughout the holidays.
Watch your cash flow, too. Printify charges you for production and shipping when an order comes in, but your sales channel pays you out later. Make sure you have enough money on hand to cover a spike in orders.
Prep reply templates for address changes, personalization errors, and delivery questions. Explain the next step and give a realistic update time.
7. Review the result before your next campaign
Check sales revenue, profit after advertising, average order value, and refunds in your store dashboard and cost spreadsheet. Compare discounted orders with your usual margin to see which offer actually improved earnings.
On top of that, ad spending shows which channels bring profitable orders. Reuse the strongest creative and gift collections for December. Use what you learned to plan future holidays instead of repeating a discount that only increased order volume.
For more seasonal preparation, explore the Printify Holiday Hub.
Quick tip
Create a reliable sales strategy by following our guide on the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing ideas.
Holiday shopping calendar
Black Friday is one part of a year-round plan. Choose holidays relevant to your audience and work backward from the delivery date to schedule samples, listing updates, and advertising.
| Occasion | Timing | POD campaign idea |
|---|---|---|
| New Year | January 1 | Goal-themed journals and motivational apparel |
| Valentine’s Day | February 14 | Personalized gifts and matching designs |
| St. Patrick’s Day | March 17 | Green tees and party apparel |
| Easter | Date varies (March 28 in 2027) | Family apparel and spring designs |
| Mother’s Day | Second Sunday in May in the US | Personalized mugs and family gifts |
| Pride Month | June | Original designs relevant to your brand and audience |
| Father’s Day | Third Sunday in June in the US | Hobby-themed shirts and drinkware |
| US Independence Day | July 4 | Cookout tees and red, white, and blue designs |
| Back-to-school | Local term dates, usually August-September in the US | Teacher gifts and student accessories |
| US Labor Day | First Monday in September | Seasonal collection deals |
| Halloween | October 31 | Costume-inspired apparel and themed decor |
| Thanksgiving | Fourth Thursday in November (November 26, 2026) | Family reunion tees and Friendsgiving gifts |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday | November 27 and 30 in 2026 | Gift collections and margin-tested offers |
| Christmas | December 25 | Personalized gifts with visible order deadlines |
Dates and traditions vary by country. Confirm your target market’s calendar before scheduling campaigns for these holidays. Use the Printify holiday guide to organize your preparation.
FAQ
Maximize profits during Black Friday week
Start with an offer that your margins support and a store that makes ordering easy. Choose your gift collection, test the discount, and publish realistic delivery estimates before the campaign begins.
Sign up and browse our Catalog, prepare your designs, and line up your deals before Cyber Week (November 26-30) kicks off. A clear plan helps you handle the rush and gives buyers the information they need to order confidently.
