Hi, I'm Arianne, founder of Aeolidia. We create effective Shopify sites and email marketing for thoughtful, independent brands. Our newsletter shares advanced, need-to-know ecommerce strategies. Not on the list yet? Join here.

Hi Reader,

Love it or hate it, Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) has trained shoppers to expect a discount. But if you're a premium or artisan brand, discounts don't always set the right tone. The good news: a discount is just one way to make someone feel like they got something special over the holiday weekend.

Our partners at Klaviyo sent us this list of ideas for you to consider as you plan your holiday marketing:

How to Win BFCM Without Discounting

Premium and DTC brands can create BFCM value without relying on markdowns.

Early access & exclusivity
VIP-only windows and waitlists – the reward is access, not a price cut.

Gift-with-purchase / bundles
Perceived value without eroding margin or brand price position.

Free or expedited shipping
Often the actual deciding factor for shoppers, not the % off.

Loyalty point multipliers
Offer 2x or 3x points to reward purchases while protecting margin.

A superior customer experience
Personalized recommendations and instant answers can become a meaningful differentiator.

Limited-edition drops
Storytelling and scarcity do the work that a markdown would otherwise do.

Repeat buyers grew 13.6% YoY in 2025, ahead of new buyers at 9%, while average discount rates declined — showing that relevance can outperform deeper discounts.

We have some ideas about what these strategies would look like for the independent, creative brands we work with. Please reach out if you'd like to brainstorm with us! Just reply to this email.

We have a few blog posts on our site that may also be helpful as you're planning:

Email Pop-Up Copy: What Works Best for Online Retailers?
Shopify Email Pop-Up Best Practices
stay tuned for updated BFCM info from us for 2026!

Q&A

Here's a reader question about search apps, from Heather, as answered by Iran, Senior Web Developer on our team:

Q: I currently use Rapid Search Bar & Filter for an advanced search, but it's a little pricey. I'd be open to using Shopify Search & Discovery instead as recommended, though the latest reviews are concerning.

A: Apps released by Shopify usually get bad ratings - the reality is they're free apps and might not contain all the bells and whistles, so merchants leave bad reviews when it doesn't do everything they want out of the box. "Rapid Search" does use their own logic to show search results, so that's something to consider. Your site doesn't have complex filters so Search & Discovery should suffice for you.

Question: Answered

Our team includes experts in branding, design, development, email & SMS/text marketing, search engine optimization, copywriting, conversion optimization, ecommerce strategy, business growth, and more. Have a question for us? Email back, and I'll consult one of our experts and share one weekly response over email.

Interesting Clickables

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I always like to phrase things positively, so I liked this article: turn bugs into features - if you find yourself apologizing for anything about your product or service, this could be a good mindset shift.
Abby Glassenberg's been thinking about why Etsy is full of AI slop and Ravelry isn't.

Latest Aeolidia Launch

A brand identity for Back By Sunset.

Christine, Senior Identity & Web Designer on our team, brought Back by Sunset to life with a lively new brand identity (plus social media templates and a Klaviyo newsletter template). We originally named Back by Sunset, and helped owner Brenda create her brand strategy, so we're excited to see where this brand identity work takes her next!

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