Published
3rd November 2026
Read time
6 min read
Sophie Mccarthy
By Sophie McCarthy

It's barely November and our inboxes are already groaning. 30% off. 40% off. Extra 10% if you sign up. Black Friday “starts now”, which seems to mean it started in October.

If you're tired of it, you're not alone, and your customers are too. Yet every year, brands pile in, matching each other's discounts and hoping to come out on top. We'd argue it's a game with no winners, and that there are smarter ways to influence how people buy.

What heavy discounting really teaches your customers

Discounts feel like the safe lever to pull. They're quick, measurable and easy to explain. But they also teach people something about your brand, and it's not always what you intended.

  • Your full price starts to feel wrong. Once customers have seen a product at 30% off, that becomes the price they have in their heads. Behavioural scientists call it a reference point, and everything afterwards is judged against it.

  • Customers learn to wait. If a deal turns up every November, shoppers stop buying in October. Then they stop buying in September, because they know what's coming. You haven't created extra demand, you've just moved it.

  • Quality and value get muddied. Constant markdowns can signal that a product wasn't worth the original price, which chips away at the premium you've worked hard to build.

  • You attract the wrong relationship. Deal hunters are loyal to the deal, not to you. The moment someone else undercuts you, they're gone.

The maths rarely works either 

Take a product with a 30% margin. Offer 20% off, and your profit per sale falls by two thirds. To make the same money, you'd need to sell three times as many units. That's an illustrative example, but the principle holds across most categories: the deeper the discount, the steeper the volume you need to break even.

Add rising costs, a crowded inbox and customers who are tuning out the noise, and the arms race starts to look expensive.

We are sick of the noise, and it shows 

There's a human reason this isn't working as well as it used to. When every brand shouts the same message at the same time, nobody stands out. Percentage signs become wallpaper, and shoppers start to distrust offers that feel manufactured.

Add to that the fatigue of weeks of promotional messaging, and people mentally switch off. The brands that feel different, calmer and more confident are the ones that get noticed.

Discounting isn't the only lever: there are five nudges that influence buying.

Price is just one of many influences on what people do. In our BxROAR approach, we use behavioural nudges to shape decisions in ways that don't cost margin. Here are five that work particularly well at peak season.

  • Framing. How you present a choice changes how it feels. Instead of “20% off”, show the value: what it costs per use, what's included, or how much better it is than the cheaper alternative. A bundle that feels like a smart whole often beats a percentage off one part.

  • Social proof. When shoppers are unsure, they look to others. Reviews, best-seller badges, real customer stories and “most chosen” labels reduce risk far more cheaply than a discount.

  • Make it easy. Friction kills sales. Clear delivery dates, simple checkout, flexible returns and one obvious next step can lift conversion without touching the price. In a noisy peak period, the easiest brand to buy from has an edge.

  • Loss aversion. People hate missing out more than they like gaining. Framing what customers could lose, such as a delivery slot before Christmas or a limited-time bonus, motivates action in a way a plain discount often doesn't.

  • Scarcity, used honestly. Genuinely limited stock or a genuinely closing window can focus attention. But fake scarcity backfires fast. If people spot a countdown timer that resets, trust takes the hit.

And a few more ways to add value without cutting price 

  • Add value instead of subtracting it. A free installation, extended warranty or aftercare package makes the offer feel generous while protecting your price. It also reinforces why your product is worth what it costs.

  • Reward your existing customers first. Early access or a thank-you for loyal customers makes people feel valued, builds reciprocity and rewards the behaviour you want to see.

  • Say less, and say it better. While everyone else shouts, a well-timed, confident message about why your product matters can cut through. Calm can be a competitive advantage.

Start with the behaviour, not the banner

Before planning your next promotion, ask the question we always begin with: what do we need people to do differently, and what's currently stopping them? If the barrier is trust, discounting won't fix it. If it's complexity, a price cut won't either.

That's the thinking behind BxROAR. We start with the behaviour, research what's really driving it and choose the levers, whether that's framing, proof, ease or timing, most likely to move it. Sometimes a deal is part of the answer. It just shouldn't be the only one.

Black Friday will come and go. The relationship your customers have with your brand is what lasts.

Need more information?

Want to explore how behavioural science could help your brand stand out this peak season without slashing prices? Get in touch with our talented team to find out more.