Thijs here, I’m one of the developers helping our clients get their Shopware stores ready for the madness that is Black Friday. I’ve seen a lot of stores go through peak traffic moments, and trust me, those days can be either fun… or chaotic. The difference usually comes down to one thing: preparation.
So, before we all dive headfirst into discounts and campaign setups, here are a few recommendations from my developer’s perspective. These tips will help keep your store fast, stable, and stress-free when the orders start coming in.
Don't wait until the last week to set up your campaigns, discounts, categories, or marketing materials. Preparing everything in advance gives you time to test, make adjustments, and ensures both you and your technical team have time to address any issues that might arise.
Your store might work fine today, but will it still perform under Black Friday traffic? Test all flows in the weeks leading up to the event:
Catching bugs now is far better than fixing them during peak sales hours.
Peak traffic can overwhelm your current setup. Now is the time to:
A slow or crashing site will cost you sales, often more than upgrading your hosting plan would.
If your promotion strategy allows, consider running deals over several days instead of just Black Friday. This:
During Black Friday, customers are coming specifically for deals, don’t make them search. Set up a dedicated Black Friday collection or category, and:
This improves conversion by reducing friction in the shopping journey.
While discount codes are common, they introduce friction at checkout and increase the chance of user error or abandoned carts. A better approach:
If you must use discount codes, test them thoroughly on all device types and checkout scenarios before launch.
Not everything has to be discounted. Use cross-selling to feature full-price or higher-margin products alongside your Black Friday deals. Customers coming in for one item may be tempted to add more.
The more you automate now, the less you’ll have to manage during the rush. Automate:
This allows you to focus on packing orders, responding to customers, and running live promotions, not fiddling with backend settings during peak traffic.
As tempting as it is to launch that new feature or redesign, the week before Black Friday is not the time. New releases introduce bugs and instability, often in places you won’t notice until customers do. Lock down your store and focus on stability.
The key to a successful Black Friday isn’t just good deals, it’s also a fast, stable, and stress-free customer experience backed by thorough preparation. Start early, test often, automate smartly, and stay focused on the basics. As your technical partner, we’re here to support you every step of the way, before, during, and after the rush.