How Did Your Black Friday Go? The Metrics That Matter

Black Friday is over. You made sales. But before you celebrate (or get frustrated), you need to look at the right numbers. Because "we sold more than last year" doesn't say much if you spent twice as much on ads or gave away your margins.

Which Metrics Should You Check First?

Gross Sales vs. Net Sales Gross sales are the total amount invoiced. Net sales are what's left after returns, discounts, and cancellations. If your average discount was 40% and you had 15% returns, your net sales could be half your gross.

Contribution Margin Selling $10,000 at a 40% margin is not the same as selling $10,000 at 15%. Do the math:

Net Sales - Product Cost - Shipping Cost - Advertising Cost = Contribution Margin

If the number is negative, Black Friday cost you money.

Average Order Value How much did each customer spend on average? If your average order value dropped compared to the prior month, your discounts may have attracted low-value buyers. That's not necessarily bad, but you need to know.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) If you invested in advertising, divide the sales attributed to ads by the cost of those ads.

Conversion Rate What percentage of visitors made a purchase? A typical ecommerce conversion rate is 1.5%–3%. During Black Friday, it can climb to 3%–5% if your offer is compelling.

New Customers vs. Returning Customers Did new customers buy, or was it the same regulars? Black Friday is an acquisition opportunity. If 80% of your sales came from new customers, your next task is to retain them.

What Should You Do with This Information?

• If your margins held up: replicate what worked. Which products sold the most? Which channel had the best ROAS? Which email drove the most conversions?
• If you sold a lot but margins were thin: rethink your discount strategy. Maybe 25% off with free shipping works better than 50% off without it.
• If the conversion rate was low: the problem was likely your site experience, not the offer. Check speed, checkout flow, and product pages.
• If you acquired many new customers: build a welcome sequence to turn them into repeat buyers. You already paid to acquire them on Black Friday — now it's time to make that investment pay off.

Black Friday doesn't end on Friday. What you do with the data and the customers you acquired determines whether it was an investment or an expense.

Want to analyze your results and plan your next campaign better? At Mi Primera Tienda we help you understand your numbers and act on them.