4 Helpful Tips Boutique Fitness Studios Must Do After Black Friday

Black Friday 2024 brought in record-breaking sales and highlighted some major shifts in how people shop—shifts that boutique fitness studios and small businesses (literally) can't afford to ignore. From flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later to the rise of AI chatbots, the data tells a story: convenience, personalization, and tech are now at the center of consumer decisions.

Here's the quick scoop:

• U.S. online sales hit $10.8 billion, up over 10% from last year. More than half of those sales (55%) came from mobile devices, proving that people love to shop on the go or, in my case, scroll on the couch after Thanksgiving chaos and escape to retail therapy.

• Buy Now, Pay Later services were game-changers, generating nearly $1 billion in transactions on Cyber Monday alone. These plans make high-ticket items—like fitness memberships or class packages—feel more affordable and easier to commit to. Think buy now, but don't pay for your membership until Jan 31.

• AI chatbots crushed it this year. Retailers using them saw conversion rates jump 9%, and chatbot interactions skyrocketed by 1,800%. Why? Instant answers and easy navigation create a better experience for customers, so if you've been on the chatbot sidelines like I have, it's time to jump in.

For boutique fitness studios, these trends are worth paying attention to. Flexible payment options and chatbots aren't just for big-box retailers—they can also help small studios reach more clients, increase sales, and save time. Most of my private clients saw substantial increases YOY with strategized deal-of-the-day offers running the show. If you didn't have a great Black Friday, it's not because you did something wrong. There are SO many factors associated with whether or not your population buys or not, so don't beat yourself up. Instead, complete your Black Friday recap, take some time to feel down if you need to, and then dust yourself off because January is coming.

Screenshots of private client results

So, Now What?

The real work starts after the sale. Black Friday is one of the most complex sales events of the year, so to make it even better next year, you've got to step back and evaluate without bias or emotion. Here's a simple, step-by-step guide to breaking down your results and setting yourself up for an even bigger win in 2025.

1. Turn Everything Off

That might sound like common sense, but remember, I do this for a living, which means I know some of you haven't turned those offers off in your booking software yet. You don't want your audience to get used to thinking you don't mean it when you say it's the last chance or best deal of the year. Urgency loses its effectiveness if it's proven to be false advertising.

2. Crunch the Numbers

List all of your offers on your Black Friday Planner or use something like this. Next, tally up your revenue by total sales and also broken down by offer.

• How many of each offer did you sell?

• What was the revenue for each specific deal?

• How did daily performance vary? What day had the strongest sales? Does the data show it was the day (i.e., Friday) or the offer (i.e., PIF package)?

Example: If your discounted annual membership sold out on Day 1 but your flash sale on smaller packages flopped, you've just learned what your clients really value.

Black Friday Recap Spreadsheet

3. Post-Mortem: What Worked, What Didn't?

As you look at your results, ask yourself:

• What went really well?

• What didn't hit the mark?

• What would you do differently next year?

4. Organize Your Content

Do future-you a favor and organize everything while it's fresh:

• Emails: Save your Black Friday emails in one folder, labeled by day and time (e.g., "Day 1 – 8 AM").

• Social Posts: Create a Google file or folder on your phone for your Black Friday graphics, captions, and post-performance stats.

• Ad Data: If you ran ads, keep track of what worked, from the copy to the targeting.

When next Black Friday rolls around, you'll have a head start instead of scrambling at the last minute. In fact, most of my clients rinse and repeat by inputting new links and photos. Talk about a time saver.

The Big Takeaway

This Black Friday isn't just about counting sales—it's about learning what motivates your clients and improving for next time. By analyzing your data, embracing new tools, and organizing your content, you can grow your studio while making the process less stressful for you and your team.

So, How did your sale go this year? Please leave feedback HERE- especially if you used the Black Friday Planner this year. Share your wins and takeaways—I'd love to hear what worked and what you're tweaking for next time so I can make next year's workshop even more helpful.