One e-commerce-focused founder, Yiqi Wu of Aimerce, is thinking about Black Friday

And not necessarily in a fun Halloween way, either. Perhaps it’s because stories (and urban myths) from the early 2000s about consumers being trampled on at big box stores have taken root in my mind. (Also there is almost no amount of money that would be enough for me to subject myself to a man’s horror game.)

But it’s always struck me that brands and retailers may be dreading Black Friday (and its cousin, Cyber ​​Monday) more than I can imagine. It’s the ultimate double-edged sword, like classes and colleges where most of your grades are the same test: Black Friday accounts for a significant portion of retailers’ annual revenue, and sends the holiday shopping season to be a complete application.

Yiqi Wu, founder and president of e-commerce-focused consumer intelligence startup Aimerce, said Black Friday is shaping up to be a hit.

“I think this year is very competitive, because everyone starts their campaign earlier than last year,” Wu said. Wealth. “If you look at the time the campaign started last year, it was early November. This year, it is late October. It’s already Black Friday in October. “

It’s Wu’s first Black Friday as founder of Aimerce-backed Upfront Ventures, which he started in 2023 and whose clients include shoe retailer Vivaia, grocery company Evermill, and Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint. So, even though he has a lot of data to sift through, this is his first year watching crazy and real-time.

Wu was surprised by the last-minute changes he saw brands make in their campaigns, highlighting how Black Friday’s backlash is as retailers try to wring out their “superpowers” from the season. holiday. In some sense, it has always been like this, because the stakes of Black Friday are very high.

“If you don’t review the basics of how your website works, and how you can effectively communicate and know your customer on a daily basis, you are being this kind of thing,” said Upfront Ventures general partner Kobie Fuller, who said. last year was CMO of e-commerce fashion juggernaut Revolve. On Black Friday, “if you don’t have your stuff together, it’s a really bad time for you in terms of shopping.”

E-commerce support has progressed and declined as a sector, especially in terms of VC support-in 2022, the opportunity fell, but from this year has seen some recovery. But Black Friday is an opportunity for a fresh start, now and always.

“This month is my fastest growing month since I launched the product,” Wu said. “It’s because I solve hair problems and burns for people.”

See you Monday,

Allie Garfinkle
Twitter: @agarfinks
Email: alexandra.garfinkle@fortune.com
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