BFCM Performance Analysis Date Ranges
To ensure consistent measurement across years and brands, we define fixed time intervals around Black Friday–Cyber Monday (BFCM). These windows let us benchmark results before, during, and after the peak shopping season.
1. BFCM Week
Definition: The 7-day period beginning on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) and ending the following Wednesday.
Example (2024): November 28 – December 4, 2024.
Rationale: This window captures the five key shopping days (Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday, and Cyber Monday), plus two trailing days when promotions and carryover sales remain elevated.
2. Pre-BFCM Baseline
Definition: 30-day average immediately before BFCM Week.
Purpose: Provides a performance baseline for measuring uplift during BFCM.
Examples (2024):
30-day baseline: October 31 – November 27, 2024.
3. Post-BFCM Holiday Season
Definition: The period from Thursday after BFCM Week through December 31.
Example (2024): December 5 – December 31, 2024.
Purpose: Assesses whether Cyber Week results carried into the rest of the holiday season or declined after aggressive discounting.
4. Why We Use These Dates
BFCM Week (Thanksgiving → Wednesday) focuses squarely on the true surge in shopper demand.
Pre-BFCM Baseline allows for meaningful uplift measurement against “pre-holiday” days.
Post-BFCM Holiday Season shows the lasting impact of Cyber Week strategy on overall holiday revenue.