Hero SKUs, Early Access, and Sitewide Blowouts: BFCM 2025's Winning Playbook
Campaigns That Moved the Needle in 2025
From price hikes to sitewide blowouts, brands took wildly different approaches to Black Friday 2025—and some worked better than others. This report unpacks standout strategies that delivered real results. Some brands leaned into their hero SKUs. Others went broader, offering early access or sitewide deals. But the best campaigns weren’t always the deepest discounts. They were the ones that understood their customers, timed the launch right, and gave people a reason to act. Let’s dig into the patterns that stood out.
| Brand | Promo Type | Primary Product | Peak Sales Day | Observed Lift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madewell | Price increase → discount | The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean | Nov 26 | 4x+ sales post-price hike |
| Lululemon | 15% off select styles | Define Jacket Nulu | Nov 21 | 13x+ sales surge |
| Gymshark | Up to 70% off sitewide | Black Seamless Leggings | Nov 28 | 7x+ sustained lift |
| Mejuri | 20% off w/ early access | Multi Gemstone Station Bracelet | Nov 28 | 6x+ revenue growth |
Madewell: Why Raising Prices Worked for BFCM
- Launch Date: No major promo until Thanksgiving
- Campaign: Strategic price increase ($138 → $148 on Nov 14)
- Primary Product: The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean
- Promotion Window: BFCM weekend
- Observed Lift: Sales surged post-price hike and peaked on discount days
Instead of discounting early, Madewell raised the price of its best-selling denim by $10 mid-November, a 7.2% increase. The move didn't slow demand. Daily sales stayed fairly stable after the hike, then more than quadrupled during Cyber Weekend—jumping from 251 units on Nov 24 to over 1,100 on Nov 26. Black Friday and Saturday both delivered strong volume, proving that high-performing SKUs can absorb premium pricing ahead of discount events.
This strategy may have padded margin on full-price sales in the weeks leading up to BFCM. Once the holiday weekend hit, pent-up demand and expected promotions took over. Madewell showed you can still move volume even when the price goes up—if the product is right.
Madewell Jean Daily Sales
Daily unit sales of the Darted Barrel-Leg Jean. Price increased on Nov 14, followed by strong BFCM lift. Data: Nov 1–30, 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic price hikes can boost margin without hurting demand.
- BFCM volume stayed high despite higher baseline pricing.
Lululemon: Define Jacket Sales Skyrocket with Simple Discount
- Launch Date: Nov 21
- Campaign: 15 percent off select items
- Primary Product: Define Jacket Nulu
- Promotion Window: 9 days
- Observed Lift: Sales spiked immediately on launch and stayed elevated through the holiday weekend
The Define Jacket Nulu already sells at scale, averaging several hundred units a day through early November. That baseline makes the Nov 21 jump impossible to miss. Volume surged from 303 units on Nov 20 to over 4,000 on launch day, then stayed elevated through the weekend. This was not a soft lift. It was a clear release of stored demand tied directly to promotion timing.
Define Jacket Nulu Daily Sales
Daily unit sales for the Define Jacket Nulu, showing baseline, spike on promotion, and post-promo volume. Data: Nov 3–30, 2025.
What stands out is how little education the product needed. Shoppers already knew the fit, fabric, and use case. The discount simply removed friction. After the initial burst, sales settled into a higher range post launch than the pre promotion floor. It is a clean example of how modest incentives on proven hero SKUs can outperform broader discount strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Discount on a hero SKU created an immediate and sustained spike.
- Promotion worked without added education or campaign buildup.
Gymshark: 70% Off + Hero Product = Black Friday Blowout
- Launch Date: Nov 16
- Campaign: Sitewide discounts up to 70 percent
- Primary Product: Black Seamless Leggings
- Promotion Window: 13+ days
- Observed Lift: Sales surged over 7x during promo period, peaking on Black Friday
Sales were already picking up on Nov 14, but Gymshark's aggressive discounting officially hit on Nov 16 and drove legging volume from 718 units to over 15,000 the next day. That number doubled again by Black Friday, peaking at over 57,000 units sold. The campaign pulled forward serious demand, but volume remained high through the weekend, showing that customers weren’t just rushing for a single-day deal.
The combination of steep markdowns and a product with clear fit, use case, and value proposition made this campaign a juggernaut. Gymshark showed that when the audience already trusts the core product, the right discount can push them to stock up and share.
Gymshark Leggings Daily Sales
Sales volume for Gymshark leggings, highlighting the impact of sitewide discounts. Data: Nov 2–29, 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Sitewide discount created a clear surge, not just a spike.
- Customers responded to value and trust in a known, hero product.
Mejuri: $16K Bracelet Day Powered by Early Access
- Launch Date: Nov 21
- Campaign: Early access + 20 percent off sitewide
- Primary Product: Multi Gemstone Station Bracelet
- Promotion Window: 9+ days
- Observed Lift: Sales surged 6x with sustained demand through Cyber Weekend
Mejuri leaned on urgency and exclusivity, kicking off its promo with a members-only banner. Revenue more than quadrupled on launch day, then stayed strong through the entire promo window. From Nov 21 to Nov 29, daily bracelet sales never dropped below $6K and peaked at over $16K on Black Friday.
Jewelry has a different cadence than apparel—fewer repeat purchases, more gifting—but Mejuri managed to unlock demand by combining a compelling offer with early access and tight execution. For higher price point products like this bracelet, creating a sense of limited-time opportunity without cheapening the brand is the unlock.
Mejuri Bracelet Daily Revenue
Sales revenue for the Multi Gemstone Station Bracelet. Early access drove a clear demand spike with sustained momentum. Data: Nov 2–27, 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Early access and urgency unlocked demand for a high-AOV product.
- Brand equity remained intact despite a sitewide discount.
Key Takeaways
- Hero SKUs win: Products with existing demand (Lululemon Define Jacket, Madewell jeans, Gymshark leggings) carried their categories. These didn’t need splashy campaigns—just the right timing or incentive.
- Discounts aren’t mandatory: Madewell raised prices before the holiday and still drove record volume when the promo hit.
- Early access works: Mejuri members-first strategy drove urgency without cheapening the brand.
- Sitewide blowouts can scale fast: Gymshark up-to-70% promo delivered massive lift, especially when paired with trusted products.
