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Forget doorbusters; this year, Black Friday begins with a password.
Around 40% of consumers intend to start holiday shopping in early November. Brands are no longer waiting for Thanksgiving to kick off their deals. We’ve now seen a common trend emerge just when the clock had hit midnight on Halloween: password-protected and time-sensitive early access Black Friday sales.
Brands use these early-bird exclusive deals differently between new and existing visitors. The most common way is for select customers to receive VIP Black Friday passwords via email, granting them first access.
The rest? They’re invited to join the club by signing up, creating a gated experience that blends anticipation with exclusivity.
In this blog, we’ll explore how these VIP Black Friday campaigns work, provide real-brand examples, and uncover how this has become a common trend.
The mechanics of this VIP Black Friday campaign are simple yet effective. It’s all about blending anticipation with urgency to drive sign-ups and rewarding loyal customers with an exclusive, time-sensitive offer they cannot resist.
It’s important to make this more than just a huge sale haul. Instead, you can strategically segment offers by loyalty level. VIP Black Friday customers might receive earlier access, higher discounts, or even tailored offers, whereas those who have purchased only once before may only have earlier access to lower discounts.
This sportswear fashion brand had locked their entire website, displaying only a countdown timer and an email sign-up form for early access. As 5PM struck, those with passwords gained entry, enjoying a full hour of shopping before the public sale opened at 6 PM.
• Pro: Created a buzz, rapidly grew the email list, and built suspense through a clear countdown.
• Con: Some visitors might feel put off by the restricted access, especially those who prefer immediate browsing.
While this is less of a password-protected campaign, Huda Beauty’s homepage serves as a teaser, promoting up to 80% off for early Black Friday access. Visitors are invited to sign up for early access while returning customers can build wishlists in advance.
Those who join the list for the first time receive a confirmation waiting list email accompanied by personalized product recommendations for the upcoming sale.
• Pro: Encourages both new and loyal customers to engage with the brand ahead of time and lets shoppers plan purchases for when the time comes.
• Con: It may require engaging email nurture sequences to prevent customers who have signed up from forgetting the big sales event.
Grenade took an immersive approach, inviting past customers to join “The Vault” via email. Each week, an exclusive offer would be unlocked with diverse one-of-a-kind deals. Once customers unlock the vault with their password, they find a limited-time discount window, simulating an escape-room feel with a countdown clock driving urgency.
• Pro: Builds excitement with an interactive twist and leverages time-sensitive offers for a heightened sense of urgency.
• Con: Short access windows can feel pressure, potentially leading to buyer hesitation if customers miss the narrow shopping window.
This VIP Black Friday trend is more than just an early sale. For brands, it’s a strategic move that builds buzz, captures customer data, and encourages loyalty program interaction.
By creating exclusive, password-protected access, brands can engage new customers to learn about their offering, reward loyal customers, and build a sense of exclusivity that’s often missing from traditional sale events.
This approach also allows brands to gather critical customer insights ahead of the high-traffic Cyber Weekend. By staggering access, they can test demand, manage inventory more effectively, and deliver a smoother shopping experience to VIPs before the broader rush.
This VIP Black Friday campaign strategy can create a sense of community and exclusivity for customers. New customers appreciate the special access, and loyal shoppers enjoy being treated as insiders. As brands increasingly turn Black Friday into a gated, “members-only” event, they deepen engagement and build interest through an experience that stands out amid a season of constant promotions.
Most importantly, customers will be able to see more value in your loyalty program for the next 12 months. By learning what Black Friday benefits each tier has, it can encourage customers to participate more and drive their points to hit VIP status for early access for your future sales campaigns.
Password-protected and time-sensitive VIP Black Friday deals have shifted toward a more exclusive experience. If this trend continues, we could see Black Friday evolve from a mass event into something more segmented, personal, and loyalty-driven. The VIP approach may be here to stay — and it might just redefine the holiday shopping season as we know it.
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