How to plan ad budgets for Black Friday and Christmas
Ad costs rise sharply around Black Friday and Christmas. Build your audiences and email list in October, increase budgets gradually into November, focus spend on your best offers and products, and set Christmas delivery cut-offs so late ads don't drive orders you can't deliver in time.
By Abdullah Ashraf, Shopify expert · Last updated: October 2026
Quick summary
- Build audiences early, in October.
- Expect higher costs per click.
- Stop pushing delivery-dependent ads after cut-offs.
October
Test creatives and grow your email and retargeting audiences while costs are lower.
Black Friday
Increase budgets on proven campaigns and use email and SMS for your existing audience.
December
Focus on gifts and delivery deadlines, then promote gift cards after cut-offs.
Check margins
Use the ROAS calculator with your discounted prices.
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