Beyond Discounts: The Secret BFCM Growth Strategy Is Gifting | Giftnote

Forget discounts. The real BFCM growth strategy no one talks about is gifting.

Every brand is talking about discounts this BFCM. But here’s what no one is telling you: the biggest growth opportunity isn’t the buyer, it’s the recipient.

According to NRF, 86% of shoppers bought a gift during BFCM 2024. Yet most Shopify merchants still treat gifting as an afterthought. This leaves the door wide open for competitors who know how to capture both the gifter and the recipient.

Giftnote turns every gifted order into a growth engine by delivering branded digital gift notes, capturing recipient data, and converting them into loyal customers.

The Gifting Data Every Shopify Merchant Needs Before BFCM

From more than 680,000 Giftnotes delivered, here is what we have learned:

• 67% of gift givers are first-time customers which makes gifting a strong acquisition trigger
• Gifted order AOV is 25% higher than non-gifted orders
• Holiday gifts convert about 2x: gifts sent in November and December 2025 saw 17–19% of recipients go on to buy, against 7.6–10.6% the rest of the year.
• 74% of recipients are net-new to the brand which turns gifting into a viral loop of growth.
• About 1 in 10 recipients goes on to buy, and 56% of those buy in the same month they received the gift.
• Gift cards are redeemed at 30% above face value so a $100 card typically becomes $130 in revenue.

Every gift you send expands your reach, lowers CAC, and boosts revenue.

Why BFCM Is the Perfect Time to Get Giftable

During peak season, consumers are not just buying for themselves. They are buying for others. That means every order could introduce your brand to a whole new audience.

If your store is not giftable, you are leaving money and future customers on the table.

3 Fast Gifting Plays You Can Launch Before BFCM

1. Make Every Product Instantly Giftable Add Giftnote’s no-code widget in minutes. Let buyers send a personalized digital note alongside their order that arrives by SMS or email when the parcel is delivered, when it ships, or at a time they choose.‍
2. Capture Recipient Data Automatically When the recipient opens their gift message, Giftnote captures their details. This feeds into Klaviyo or your CRM and unlocks new retention campaigns.‍
3. Trigger Automated Conversion Flows Set up automated email or SMS flows welcoming recipients as new customers. About 1 in 10 recipients goes on to buy.

Act Now: Waiting Until BFCM Means You've Already Lost

By the time BFCM traffic spikes, it is too late to add gifting. Merchants who prepare now:

• Turn Gifts Into New Customers: Capture up to 74% of recipients who have never shopped with you before.
• Maximize ROI From Every Gifted Order: Giftnote's platform ROI is 7:1, about $7 in revenue for every $1 spent on the app.
• Build Repeat Revenue Beyond Peak Season: BFCM does not end with Cyber Monday. Recipients who discover you through gifting come back and buy again, driving repeat orders and stronger LTV long after peak season is over.

See what gifting could be worth to your store: run a free Gift Audit on last year's holiday orders. It scans past orders for gifts, including the ones that went out without a gift message, and shows how your gift orders compare with the rest.