Online merchants focus on BNPL, website performance ahead of holidays
Online merchants of all sizes are already taking steps to brace for the influx of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers.
That’s according to a new survey from open-source e-commerce platform Woo, which says its findings reveals a stark "preparation gap" emerging in Black Friday and Cyber Monday readiness, with million-dollar merchants investing significant time and resources into getting ready for the holiday season, and preparing earlier than ever. (Two-thirds, or 67%, of all merchants surveyed report that Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday season account for up to 50% of their annual sales volume.)
Woo’s report reveals that the largest disparity is most evident in payment options, where stores making above $1 million are three to four times more likely to offer buy now, pay later services. Among the highest revenue tier ($10-50 million), 66.7% of merchants offer buy now, pay later options compared to just 14.8% of stores under $250,000. Similarly, express checkout options like Apple Pay and Google Pay are offered by 75% of million-dollar stores versus 40% of smaller merchants.
Woo also found that website performance optimization (33.4%) has overtaken inventory management (32.6%) as the top priority for merchants. This marks a reversal from 2024 when inventory was the #1 priority at 26%. Woo says this change reflects the “growing sophistication” among merchants who understand that site performance can make or break their biggest sales period. Still, larger merchants lead the charge toward performance-first strategies, while smaller businesses often remain focused on traditional inventory-centric approaches.
In terms of preparation, 40% of stores making over $250,000 prepare one to three months ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, compared to more reactive approaches among smaller merchants. While mobile devices drove more than half (54.5%) of holiday spending in 2024, desktop shopping maintained higher conversion rates throughout the season. Woo says this "two-device dilemma" requires “nuanced strategies” that many smaller merchants lack the resources to address effectively.
[READ MORE: Survey: Three-quarters of shoppers to scan QR codes for Black Friday, Cyber Monday]
"We're seeing a tale of two Black Fridays emerge," said Tamara Niesen, chief marketing officer at Woo. "Larger merchants are investing in performance optimization, sophisticated payment options, and long-term preparation strategies, while smaller businesses often focus on traditional approaches like inventory stocking. This gap isn't just about resources — it's about awareness and access to the right strategies. Our goal is to democratize these insights so every merchant can compete effectively during their most critical sales period."
The 2025 merchant survey was distributed to WooCommerce merchants via email, social media, and targeted outreach, receiving 249 responses. A separate qualitative survey was conducted with 12 certified WooCommerce agencies.
