A note from our CEO

Hey everyone,

Chris here. Happy Holidays! Today is our fifth Annual Holiday Gift Exchange, and I can’t wait. Last year, someone gifted a taco blanket, so we should be in store for some epic gifts.

There is so much to be thankful for, and we’re lucky to work with nearly 80 people on the Cartograph team now.

It’s been a huge month here at Cartograph. November was our biggest BFCM yet, with some of the brands we work with seeing 20X sales days. And December is off to a great start as well.

This month, we’ve also added some new team members to the Cartograph team and even found time to publish a white paper about handling the January surge on Amazon.

In this newsletter, we cover:

• Last month’s sales and advertising data across our portfolio

• What we learned from BFCM

• The link to our latest white paper on preparing for the January surge

• Recent search term trends on Amazon

We aim to make this newsletter as valuable as possible for the CPG community. Have suggestions? Just hit reply and let us know!

AND, if you enjoy reading this newsletter already, feel free to pass it along to someone who might enjoy it too.

Happy Holidays,
Chris

Last month’s numbers

What we learned during Black Friday

We analyzed data from over 100+ brands during BFCM this year and uncovered insights about sales performance, discounting effectiveness, and market dynamics on Amazon.

Our customer portfolio saw 4.5X average daily sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Multiple brands hit 20X their average daily sales. Overall, Cyber Monday outperformed Black Friday for most brands.

Today, we'll break down the data behind these results, share tactics around deal timing and discount structures, examine shifts in advertising costs, and highlight emerging opportunities in the Canadian market.

1. Strong Holiday Sales 📈 

On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sales were 4.5 times the average daily, and multiple brands hit 20 times their average daily sales. For most brands, Cyber Monday outperformed Black Friday.

2. Discount sweet spot identified 💰

20-25%+ discounts consistently drove better results by meeting PED thresholds. Lower discounts (10-15%) worked well for high-AOV products. Longer, moderate discounts (20%) performed similarly to deep, short discounts (30-40%).
What we learned: Don't sacrifice margins unnecessarily; strategic moderate discounts can match aggressive discount performance.

3. Technical hurdles emerged 🔧 

For specific categories (skincare, protein), the best deals didn't reliably appear on the front end. Some brands successfully pivoted to PEDs for visibility. What we learned: Always have a backup visibility strategy ready; PEDs proved to be a reliable alternative.

4. Inventory planning crucial 📦

Brands with 4-5 months' inventory significantly exceeded expectations. December shipping became increasingly difficult. Early planning was key. What we learned: Success in Q4 begins in Q3; under-forecasting is costlier than over-forecasting.

5. Off-Amazon support was critical 🎯 

Brands using Email, SMS, social media, attribution links, and off-Amazon paid ads saw nearly 9X daily sales.

6. Canada on the rise 🍁 

Canadian market performed strongly during BFCM, benefiting from less competition.

7. Category performance varied 📊 

Household products surged (9X lift on BF, 6X on CM). Beauty/Skincare followed with 4.5X daily sales on both days.

8. Prime day comparison 📱 

BFCM outperformed Fall Prime Days. Holiday-focused products achieved stronger results than July Prime Day, while non-holiday products generally saw a smaller sales lift vs July Prime Day. October Prime Days' larger discounts set high benchmarks.”

Brace yourself for the January surge

January isn't just another month—it's a four-week revenue surge that starts right after New Year's Day. We typically see momentum build from December 27 to 30, followed by a brief lull before the real surge kicks in.

Quick tips to maximize this Q1 opportunity:

• Update product listings with resolution-focused keywords and imagery

• Set up remarketing campaigns to convert holiday shoppers into loyal customers

• Launch Subscribe & Save promotions to lock in repeat purchases

• Use Amazon's Customer Engagement tools for personalized follow-ups

These are just a few strategies from our playbook for managing the holiday transitions. Want our guide on navigating the December-to-January shift?

This month’s search terms

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