--- title: "What Is BFCM? Meaning, 2026 Dates, and What to Prepare First" url: "https://aov.ai/blog/what-is-bfcm/" kind: "post" lang: "en" description: "BFCM means Black Friday Cyber Monday. In 2026 it is from Friday 27 to Monday 30 November. See what it means for your store and what to prepare first." slug: "what-is-bfcm" author: "Daniel Ha" author_url: "https://aov.ai/author/daniel-ha/" published_at: "2026-10-12T10:05:00.000Z" updated_at: "2026-10-12T10:05:00.000Z" categories: ["Shopify"] tags: ["BFCM","Black Friday","Cyber Monday"] feature_image: "https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/bfcm-black-friday-cyber-monday.webp" --- # What Is BFCM? Meaning, 2026 Dates, and What to Prepare First ## Key Takeaways ### BFCM is short for Black Friday Cyber Monday It's a sales period of four days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. ### BFCM 2026 is from 27 to 30 November Black Friday is on Friday 27 November, and Cyber Monday is on Monday 30 November. ### The dates change every year Black Friday is the day after US Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November. ### BFCM matters outside the US too The United Kingdom and Germany were among the five countries with the highest sales on Shopify during BFCM 2025. ### Prepare four things before BFCM They are your first checks, your store, your offers, and your apps. BFCM stands for Black Friday Cyber Monday. In 2026, it's from Friday 27 November to Monday 30 November. This guide explains the meaning, the dates, and what to prepare for your online store in advance. ## What Does BFCM Mean? BFCM means the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, according to [the definition from Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/uk/blog/bfcm-2020). Stores use one name because they treat the whole period as one sales event. In marketing, the meaning is the same: a "BFCM offer" is one offer for all four days. ### Black Friday vs Cyber Monday Black Friday is the shopping day right after Thanksgiving. It's traditionally known for offers in physical stores. Cyber Monday is the following Monday, and it focuses on discounts that are only online. Today, stores often combine both days into one promotion. ## When Is BFCM 2026? BFCM 2026 starts on Friday 27 November and ends on Monday 30 November. Thursday 26 November is Thanksgiving on the [official US holiday calendar](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/), one day before Black Friday. Thanksgiving is a US holiday, so stores in other countries follow the US calendar for these dates. ![Calendar pages for 26 to 30 November 2026: Thanksgiving is the day before, then the four days of BFCM.](https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/black-friday-to-cyber-monday-2026-dates.webp) _Dates calculated from the official US holiday calendar._ One more date to check is Small Business Saturday. In the United States, the [Small Business Administration](https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/organization/observances/small-business-saturday/) gives the date as Saturday 28 November 2026. In the United Kingdom, it's one week later: [Small Business Saturday UK](https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/) gives Saturday 5 December 2026. ### Does BFCM Start on Thursday or Friday? BFCM starts on Friday, because Black Friday is its first day. Thanksgiving is the day before, and it is not part of BFCM. Cyber Week is a different, longer period, and it has no single definition. Here is how each period is counted: - **Thanksgiving, 1 day:** Thursday 26 November 2026, on the [official US holiday calendar](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). - **BFCM, 4 days:** Friday 27 to Monday 30 November 2026, as [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/uk/blog/bfcm-2020) defines it. - **Cyber Week, 5 days:** Thursday 26 to Monday 30 November 2026. [Adobe](https://news.adobe.com/news/2025/12/adobe-cyber-monday-hits-record) counts it from Thanksgiving, so its Cyber Week starts one day before BFCM. - **Cyber Week, 7 days:** Tuesday 25 November to Monday 1 December 2025, as [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/news/press-releases/2025/12/11/cyber-week-ai-agents-sales-uk/) counted it in its 2025 report. We calculated the 2026 dates from each definition and the official US holiday calendar. ### Why the Dates Change Every Year The dates change because Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. [US law on federal holidays](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/6103) sets Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. So Black Friday is always between 23 and 29 November. In 2025, it was on 28 November, one day later than in 2026. ### BFCM Dates for 2026 to 2030 We calculated these dates from the [official US holiday calendar](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/). | Year | Black Friday | Cyber Monday | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026 | Friday 27 November | Monday 30 November | | 2027 | Friday 26 November | Monday 29 November | | 2028 | Friday 24 November | Monday 27 November | | 2029 | Friday 23 November | Monday 26 November | | 2030 | Friday 29 November | Monday 2 December | ## Why BFCM Matters Outside the US BFCM is also a major sales period for stores in the United Kingdom and Germany. Stores on Shopify made $14.6 billion in sales over the four days in 2025, according to [the Shopify sales report](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025). More than 81 million customers bought from those stores. The five countries with the highest sales were the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Canada. In the United Kingdom, customers spent more than £6 billion from 25 November to 1 December 2025, according to [shopping data from Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/news/press-releases/2025/12/11/cyber-week-ai-agents-sales-uk/). ### BFCM Sales on Shopify by Year Stores on Shopify have sold more during BFCM every year since 2021. Their sales were $6.3 billion in 2021, $7.5 billion in 2022, $9.3 billion in 2023, $11.5 billion in 2024, and $14.6 billion in 2025. ![Bar chart of BFCM sales by stores on Shopify: $6.3 billion in 2021, rising each year to $14.6 billion in 2025.](https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/bfcm-sales-on-shopify-2021-to-2025.webp) _Source: Shopify BFCM reports for [2022](https://www.shopify.com/news/shopify-merchants-set-new-black-friday-cyber-monday-record-with-7-5-billion-in-sales), [2023](https://www.shopify.com/news/shopify-merchants-drive-record-high-9-3-billion-in-black-friday-cyber-monday-sales), [2024](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2024), and [2025](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025). The 2021 figure is in the 2022 report._ Sales grew by 19% in 2022, by 24% in 2023 and in 2024, and by 27% in 2025. Shopify notes that its method can change from year to year, so the figures are not directly comparable. ## What to Prepare Before BFCM Before the sale, prepare four things: your first checks, your store, your offers, and your apps. Each part below gives a short summary and a link to the full guide. ![Four things to prepare before BFCM: a checklist, a store page on a phone, a gift box with a price tag, and app tiles.](https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/four-things-to-prepare-before-bfcm.webp) _Sample store built for this article._ ### Know What to Check First Begin with the checks that matter most, then follow a plan for each week. Shopify says stores should [start preparing by early autumn](https://www.shopify.com/uk/blog/bfcm-checklist), or at the beginning of November at the latest. If you have less time than that, the order of your tasks matters even more. Our [Black Friday checklist](https://aov.ai/blog/black-friday-checklist/) gives five checks to do first, then the tasks for each week until Cyber Monday. ### Prepare Your Store Get your store pages ready before you invite customers to the sale. Customers need to see the offer, add products to the cart, and pay without a problem. Our step-by-step guide shows how to [prepare your store for Black Friday](https://aov.ai/blog/prepare-store-for-black-friday/) on Shopify. ### Choose Your Black Friday Offers Choose an offer that fits your products and your profit margin. A percentage discount is one option. Other offers reward a larger order, such as a free gift above a spending level or a product bundle. Our list of [Black Friday sale ideas](https://aov.ai/blog/black-friday-sale-ideas/) explains each type of offer, with a section for small businesses. ### Choose Apps for Black Friday Pick your apps early, and add only what your offer needs. Test each new one in your store before the sale starts. Our guide to the [best apps for Black Friday](https://aov.ai/blog/best-apps-for-black-friday/) goes through your store page by page, and shows what Shopify already does for free. ## Check Your Own Store Before Black Friday A general checklist can't show what your own store needs. At AOV.ai, we offer a free Shopify store audit. It helps you identify the problems that stop customers from buying, so you can resolve them before the sale begins. ### What stops customers from buying? Free Shopify store audit from AOV.ai - Check your own store - Identify the problems - Resolve them before the sale begins Get a free Shopify store audit ![A magnifying glass moves over a store page on a phone and marks two prices set in small text.](https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/box/magnifying-glass-checks-store-page.gif)![A magnifying glass moves over a store page on a phone and marks two prices set in small text.](https://aov.ai/images/blog/what-is-bfcm/box/magnifying-glass-checks-store-page.webp) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is BFCM Four Days or Longer? BFCM is four days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. You may also see the name Cyber Week, which has no single definition. Adobe [counts five days](https://news.adobe.com/news/2025/12/adobe-cyber-monday-hits-record), from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. For 2025, Salesforce [counted seven days](https://www.salesforce.com/uk/news/press-releases/2025/12/11/cyber-week-ai-agents-sales-uk/), from 25 November to 1 December. ### What Does BFCM Mean on Shopify? On Shopify, the meaning is the same: the four days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Shopify also uses the name in its own reports. After the 2025 weekend, it [reported $14.6 billion in sales](https://www.shopify.com/news/bfcm-data-2025) by stores on its platform. ### When Should I Start Preparing for BFCM? Start as early as you can. Shopify says early autumn, or the beginning of November at the latest. If you have less time, follow the order in our [Black Friday checklist](https://aov.ai/blog/black-friday-checklist/).