💰 Black Friday and Cyber Monday are once again shaping up to be record-breaking events on Amazon. But this year, sellers face new challenges: higher fees, more competition, and AI-driven ads that make it easier than ever to overspend.
If you want to win Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2025 without sacrificing your margins, you’ll need a smarter plan — one that balances sales volume with profitability. Let’s break down what’s different this year and how you can come out ahead.
What’s Different About Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2025
1. Amazon’s Deals Start Earlier and Last Longer
Amazon’s “Holiday Kickoff Event” in early November now acts as a pre-Black Friday launchpad. Consumers are shopping earlier than ever, and that means you can’t wait until Thanksgiving week to start your campaigns.
👉 Start ad campaigns and promotions no later than November 10 to build ranking momentum.
2. Ad Costs Are Climbing
With AI-based bidding and automation tools flooding Sponsored Ads, CPC rates have risen up to 25% year-over-year. Set your ad budgets early and monitor CPC creep daily to avoid burning through spend too fast.
3. New Seller Central Tools
Amazon has rolled out forecasting features within Ad Console and Promotions Manager. Sellers can now simulate the impact of different discount levels on visibility and conversion before launching. Use these to test your pricing and promotion strategy ahead of the rush.
4. Profit Margins Under Pressure
Storage fees, returns, and shipping costs are at all-time highs. This is not the year to “discount at any cost.” A data-driven plan is the only way to grow sustainably.
Pricing Strategies That Protect Your Profit
Use Dynamic Pricing With Floor Limits
Dynamic pricing tools help you adjust to competitors without plummeting to zero profit. Set a minimum threshold so you never drop below breakeven during Black Friday & Cyber Monday.
Bundle Your Products
Bundles increase average order value (AOV) and shield you from price wars. Use Amazon’s Product Opportunity Explorer to identify products that shoppers frequently buy together. From there, you can create holiday-themed bundles that boost conversions while keeping margins healthy.
Coupons Over Markdowns
Coupons not only increase conversion but also add a green “Save X%” badge that drives click-through.
Example: A 15% coupon with a Deal badge often outperforms a flat 30% price cut with no badge.
Run Profit Simulations
Use the Profit Simulator in SKU Economics to model how changes in ad spend, fees, or COGS impact your profit per SKU. Adjust inputs to see real-time margin outcomes before launching discounts or campaigns — so you can make confident, data-driven pricing decisions.
Inventory & Restock Planning
Audit Your Restock Limits Now
Amazon adjusts restock limits based on your IPI score and sell-through rate. If you’re nearing your limit, focus on replenishing your best sellers and clearing out slow-moving inventory before mid-November. Use the Seller Labs Restock App to plan replenishments, monitor sales velocity, and stay ahead of Amazon’s inventory restrictions with optimal shipment timing.
Balance Stockouts vs. Overstock
Stockouts mean you lose the Buy Box and momentum. Overstock means you pay through the nose in January storage fees. Model your best- and worst-case scenarios so you don’t get caught on either side.
Plan for Extended Returns
All purchases from Nov 1 to Dec 31 2025 can be returned until Jan 31 2026. That’s a cash-flow hit for January — keep a financial buffer and don’t reinvest all holiday revenue immediately.
Use Dayparting and Bid Automation
Analyze when your ads perform best — often evenings and weekends during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Use the Seller Labs Dayparting Heatmap to identify your highest-converting hours and days, then apply those insights to your dayparting strategy. Automate bids to increase spend during peak performance windows and scale back when conversions dip.
Measure Profit, Not Just ACoS
Ad cost alone can be misleading during the holidays. Use Ad Genius to analyze ad spend and performance by campaign, and connect those insights with SKU Economics to see true profit per SKU. This combination helps you identify which ads actually drive net profit — not just clicks or impressions.
Listing Optimization for Holiday Conversion
Target Gift and Deal Keywords
Add phrases like “holiday gift for men/women/kids” and “Black Friday deal” to titles and bullets. These drive massive spikes in search volume and CTR during November and December.
Upgrade Your Visuals
Add holiday touches to main images (within policy), upload A+ Content, and use short videos for mobile conversion boosts.
Leverage Badges
Amazon’s “Black Friday Deal” and “Limited-Time Deal” badges can dramatically increase CTR and conversion. Make sure your discount meets eligibility requirements and submit deals early.
Track Impact with Data Hub
Use Seller Labs Data Hub to measure how your listing updates affect performance over time. Track trends in conversion rate, sales, and traffic to understand which optimizations drive the biggest impact — and refine your strategy with clear, data-backed insights.
Seller Labs is also implementing an Amazon MCP (Model Context Protocol) — a new open standard that connects AI systems directly to your business data. MCP will make insights from tools like Data Hub even more powerful by enabling secure, context-aware access across your Seller Labs apps.
Learn more in our blog: The Business Value of MCP: How Companies Save Time & Money by Standardizing AI Tool Access
Driving External Traffic for Extra Visibility
Use Social and Influencers
Drive traffic from TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. Micro-influencers perform best because they can showcase authentic product demos and unboxings.
Amazon Attribution Tags
Always add Attribution links to external campaigns to track clicks, sales, and ROI. Amazon rewards external traffic with a small search boost — so this strategy pays off twice.
Promote High-Margin SKUs
Use SKU Economics to identify which SKUs remain profitable after ads, fees, and discounts. Focus your promotions on those high-margin products first — not the ones that barely break even.
Automate Profit Tracking
Use Seller Labs Profit Genius to connect tools like SKU Economics, Data Hub, and the Restock App, giving you full visibility into post-Black Friday & Cyber Monday profits, costs, and performance trends. With all your profitability data in one connected ecosystem, you can make confident, data-driven decisions for Q4 and beyond.
Ready to maximize your Black Friday and Cyber Monday profits — without guesswork?
Get real-time insights on your ad performance, inventory health, and SKU-level profitability with Seller Labs.
From dynamic pricing to ROI tracking, Profit Genius and Ad Genius give you the data you need to make every ad and discount count.
For a limited time, get 30% off your first month — after your 30-day free trial.
Related Blogs
- How Amazon Dayparting Can Skyrocket Your Ad Profits in 2025
Discover how to use ad scheduling and timing data to improve conversions during peak shopping hours. - Amazon Restock Limits 2025: How to Stay in Stock and Boost FBA Profits
Learn how to plan ahead for Q4 demand and manage Amazon’s inventory restrictions effectively. - Fee Audits: How to Uncover Hidden Costs and Boost Profits
Identify unexpected FBA charges and learn how to protect your margins during high-volume periods. - How to Launch Your First Amazon PPC Campaign in 2025: Beginner’s Guide + AI Strategy
Streamline your campaigns using AI insights to improve ROAS throughout the holiday season. - Amazon Profit Tracking in 2025: How to Calculate & Protect Your Margins
See how to analyze profits and costs more precisely across SKUs using tools like SKU Economics and Data Hub.
