Ecommerce growth · US guide
Black Friday and Cyber Monday ad planning checklist for 2026
By Limon Ghosh, Sydney · Updated 24 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answer: Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November. US shoppers spent US$44.2 billion online across Cyber Week 2025 (Adobe), and Meta ad costs rise sharply that week. Use the next five weeks to fix tracking, plan your offers and set a budget you can afford at the higher price.
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The dates that matter
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which is 26 November in 2026. That puts Black Friday on 27 November and Cyber Monday on 30 November.
How big is it?
Adobe reported that US consumers spent US$14.25 billion online on Cyber Monday 2025 and US$11.8 billion on Black Friday 2025 (up 9.1% year on year). Across Cyber Week, online spend reached US$44.2 billion.
US online spend on the big days, 2025
US dollars, billions (Adobe Analytics)
Source: Adobe, press release 2 December 2025. Black Friday was up 9.1% on the year before. Cyber Week total: US$44.2 billion.
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Black Friday 2025 | US$11.80B |
| Cyber Monday 2025 | US$14.25B |
Phones matter. Salesforce reported that mobile devices drove 70% of online orders in the US and worldwide during Cyber Week 2025. Adobe reported that 57.5% of online sales on Cyber Monday came through a mobile device. They measure different things (orders versus sales), so use both as a signal to check your mobile checkout.
What happens to ad costs
More advertisers bid, so the same audience costs more. Lebesgue, which analysed the largest Meta advertisers on its platform from September to November 2025, found the median brand paid 59% more per 1,000 impressions in Black Friday week than in September.
Plan for it. Budget as if each result will cost more, start warming your audiences in the weeks before, and set your break-even return first so you know when to stop. See what is a good ROAS.
Source: Lebesgue. A sample of that platform’s largest Meta advertisers, so your own costs may differ.
Your week-by-week plan
| Week starting | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 26 Oct | Tracking | Check purchase events end to end. Fix anything broken. See our GA4 guide. |
| Mon 2 Nov | Offers | Decide your offers, discount limits and margins. Work out break-even ROAS. |
| Mon 9 Nov | Creative | Build ads for each offer. Get mobile versions ready. |
| Mon 16 Nov | Warm-up | Start building audiences and email list sign-ups. Test checkout on a phone. |
| Mon 23 Nov | Launch | Early access emails and ads. Set daily budget caps. |
| Fri 27 Nov | Black Friday | Check spend and results several times a day. Pause what fails. |
| Mon 30 Nov | Cyber Monday | Push remaining stock and last-chance offers. |
| Tue 1 Dec | Review | Compare results with break-even. Note what worked. |
- Purchase tracking tested on a real order
- Mobile checkout tested on two phones
- Stock levels checked for hero products
- Daily budget caps set
- Email and ads use the same offer and dates
- Customer service replies ready for shipping questions
Shipping cut-offs for Christmas
Carriers publish last recommended shipping dates for Christmas delivery. At the time of writing, reporting based on carrier announcements gives these dates for the lower 48 US states. Always confirm on the carrier’s own page before you promise a date to customers.
| Carrier and service | Last recommended date |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail | Thursday 17 December |
| USPS Priority Mail | Friday 18 December |
| USPS Priority Mail Express | Saturday 19 December |
| FedEx Ground and Home Delivery (5-day) | Thursday 17 December |
| FedEx Express Saver | Monday 21 December |
| FedEx 2Day | Tuesday 22 December |
Source: Value Added Resource, 24 September 2026, reporting carrier announcements. UPS had not published dates at that time. Check usps.com, fedex.com and ups.com.
Sources
- Adobe: Cyber Monday 2025 results
- Salesforce: Cyber Week 2025 results
- Lebesgue: Black Friday Meta CPM analysis
- Value Added Resource: 2026 holiday shipping deadlines
Questions answered
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday 27 November 2026. Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November and Cyber Monday is on Monday 30 November.
How much do ads cost more on Black Friday?
It varies by platform and brand. Lebesgue found the median large Meta advertiser paid 59% more per 1,000 impressions in Black Friday week than in September 2025. Plan for higher costs and set your break-even first.
When should I start Black Friday ads?
Start warming audiences and collecting email sign-ups two to three weeks before, then launch offers in the week before Black Friday. Starting early gives platforms time to learn before costs peak.
Should I use bigger discounts or bigger ad budgets?
Work from your margin. If a discount cuts your margin, your break-even ROAS rises, so the ads must return more. Calculate break-even for each offer before you launch.
Does mobile matter for Black Friday?
Yes. Salesforce reported that mobile drove 70% of online orders in the US during Cyber Week 2025, so test your checkout on a phone.
Limon Ghosh runs MindfulClicks from Sydney and manages paid ads, tracking and Claude AI automation for online stores and B2B companies in Australia and the USA.
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