The US eCommerce raked in a whopping $7.5 billion on Thanksgiving last year.Â
While you might be tempted to prepare your site, emails occupy a significant part of your Thanksgiving campaigns.Â
If youâre unsure of what works, weâve compiled a list of 23 Thanksgiving emails that will give you ideas to work with.
Alongside, we'll also be covering:
15 Top Thanksgiving Email Subject LinesÂ
Top 5 Strategies For Your Thanksgiving Email Campaign
When Should Stores Send Thanksgiving Emails?
How to Write Thanksgiving Email Copy To Win Customers
Shall we get started then?
23 Inspiring Thanksgiving Emails For Higher Conversions 1. ShopremiâLeverage loss aversion Subject Line: Do this before holiday craziness sets in
Remi offers 35% off on its custom night guards invoking âloss aversionââa feeling where the fear of losing is twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining.Â
The copy first grabs attention by quoting Holiday craziness, arouses interest by painting a peaceful picture of less stress, drives desire by stating impressions, and finally incites action.Â
The above example uses the AIDA copywriting technique that you too may want in your Thanksgiving email.
What stands outÂ
Whitespace: Whitespace in the email improves readability by giving a visual pause to the reader.Â
CTA repetition: Using the same CTA twice can immediately improve CTOR .
2. Big Blanket CoâUse timers to drive urgency Subject Line: Countdown to nap time âÂ
Adding a countdown timer to your email can boost your conversion rate by 400%.Â
The copy describes the end of Thanksgiving and the beginning of winter, making a compelling introduction of the blankets. The hero image is a visual aid supplementing the copy.Â
The highlight is the description of the blanketâreflects craftsmanship, wins trust!
What stands outÂ
Witty copy: Using adjectives(biggest, best ) alongside highlighting facts (10â x 10â, 4-way stretch) activates the senses, helping to hook the readerâs attention.
3. FlybyâReinforce the power of savings Subject Line: Drinksgiving Is Coming! 25% Off Recovery đ»
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Flyby brings in the anchoring bias by displaying 25% in the subject line. Anchoring Bias refers to the human tendency of basing decisions on the very first piece of information.Â
The copy harps on the problem and offers a solution to a major problemâhangover .Â
What stands outÂ
Promo code: Offering promo codes increases oxytocin levels by 38% and happiness levels by 11%, leading to higher conversion rates.Â
Social proof: Include testimonials in your emails as 88% of customers
4. Nom NomâStrike a conversation with first-timer discounts Subject Line: âThanksgiving's yays and nays
Nom Nom offers 50% off for first-time customers in this Thanksgiving email. 80% of customers feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase from a brand if offered a discount or offer.Â
This Thanksgiving email gets two things rightâthe hero image and conversational copy.Â
It addresses a pressing issue nudging users to take action. It targets the right emotions and educates dog parents about safe foods for dogs.Â
What stands out
CTA color: Using a red color CTA button creates contrast while communicating urgency leading to higher CTR.Â
5. Modern CitizenâKeep âem on their toes with a flash sale Subject Line: Our first Thanksgiving Flash Sale starts nowÂ
Modern Citizen holds a Thanksgiving flash sale offering up to 60% off. Flash sales are effective in building a sense of urgency plus scarcity since it's a limited-time promotion.Â
Flash sales emails have their benefitsâ56% of brands receive a higher click-to-open rate compared to the annual rate. Thanksgiving flash sales could be a win-win since 50% purchases happen during the first hour itself.Â
Before running your Thanksgiving flash sales, you might want to think of the durationâ a 3-hour flash sale, for example, has a 14% transaction rate.Â
What stands outÂ
Price badge: Using price badges such as âupto 60% offâ in emails helps you highlight price reduction.Â
You might like: eCommerce Marketing Strategies (and Brilliant Examples) for Thanksgiving
6. Mitchell & NessâOffer a sitewide sale Subject Line: ONLY A FEW HOURS LEFT FOR 30% OFF!Â
Mitchell & Ness comes up with an early Thanksgiving sale offering 30% off sitewide. Sitewide sales increase the perceived value of the product while lowering risk aversion.Â
Itâs a great practice to mention the items excluded from the sale.Â
What stands outÂ
Visual hierarchy: Using a single color to highlight two important elements establishes visual hierarchy.Â
Also read: 25 Email Marketing Tips to Increase Sales (+ Amazing Examples)
7. Rebecca MinkoffâRoll out early access sales Subject Line: VIP Access: Thanksgiving Sale Get 25% Off!
Rebecca Minkoff goes the early access way offering 25% off in its Thanksgiving email marketing campaign. Early access deals evoke exclusivity making customers feel privileged.Â
Additionally, they are an effective way to offer customers to join your loyalty programs .Â
What stands outÂ
Monochrome: A monochrome color, most commonly black and white helps create contrast and readability.
8. Color & CoâTake the customization route Subject Line: Rose Gold, Mahogany, Chestnut⊠Find your perfect Thanksgiving shadeÂ
Color & Co lets customers create a custom shade for themselves in this Thanksgiving email. Customization encourages customers to pay a 20% premium, a Deloitte study revealed.Â
Consider offering a reference for customers to evaluate in your Thanksgiving emails. Images showcasing what youâre promoting often come in handy.Â
What stands out
80/20 rule: Whenever you create emails, make sure 80% of your content is text and 20% image.
9. JarboâSend back-in-stock emails Subject Line: Our Pre-Thanksgiving Gift is back in-stock!
Jarbo sends out a back-in-stock email with a pre-thanksgiving gift. If you werenât aware, back-in-stock emails enjoy an open rate of 65.32% , the highest among mainstream email campaigns.
In the above copy, the brand emphasizes $300 OFF to encourage customers to buy a high-consideration productâexpensive items that require significant money and time.Â
What stands outÂ
Product image: You would want to feature product images that offer a front/back view for customers to make an informed decision. Surprisingly, 22% of returns happen because the product shipped looked different from the image.Â
10. Ninja KitchenâEncourage spending with tiered discounts Subject Line: Thanksgiving Sale: Even more to be thankful for.
Ninja Kitchen offers tiered discounts for its Thanksgiving sales. Tiered discounts nudge customers to spend more, increasing AOV . Not to forget, it helps reduce your unit costs such as shipping and packaging, when you sell in bulk.Â
What stands outÂ
Simple design: Emails that are easy to read and optimized for mobile devices have higher conversion rates .
11. ShapermintâBe the Thanksgiving stylist Subject Line: Ultimate Control Leggings
Shapermint gets creative with its Thanksgiving Outfit Inspo email. Offering styling tips demonstrates authority, increasing the inclination to follow the advice of legitimate experts.Â
With the copy, Shapermint is communicating the convenience the leggings offer however small the celebration might be.
This brilliantly captures the perceived value of the product.Â
What stands out Â
Suggestive cue: A suggestive cue involves a person looking subtly, driving the userâs attention to an area of importance. Use this to drive attention to a CTA.Â
12. The Pros ClosetâMake a compelling end of season sale Subject line: End of season sale
The Proâs Closet is running a Thanksgiving end of season sale offering $1000 off on pre-owned bikes. Although the offer applies to pre owned bikes, the brand is known to sell expensive bikes.
Highly-involvement products require huge money and have an inherent risk to your customers. A dollar-off discount plus 200 bikes to choose from offers freedom of choice. This is a takeaway for you, if you sell higher-priced items.
What stands outÂ
Blog: Including blog posts in your Thanksgiving emails can help educate customers and engage them through each stage of the funnel .Â
13. EvereveâOffer great budget fits Subject line: What you need for a cozy Thanksgiving
Evereve offers sweaters under $100 for its Thanksgiving sales. If youâre planning to drive revenue selling products at a reduced price, the copy must outline the value plus ways it can be of help to the customer.Â
Another lesson you might want to note is using the right context. November marks the start of colder temperatures in the USA hovering around 10 to 18 °C. A brilliant time to sell warm clothes or any other product that pairs well with the cold.Â
What stands outÂ
Explicit cues: Explicit cues such as arrows and pointers point take visitor attention to important elements in the email like an image or CTA.Â
14. Cult GaiaâOffer the next best shipping option Subject line: GET YOUR ORDER BY THANKSGIVING
Cult Gaia offers free 2-day express shipping for orders over $400. Customers want to buy products before thereâs a stock out so much so that 40% of customers are willing to pay for 2-day shipping. Â
An important takeaway is to offer free shipping on a minimum AOV, so it pays for your shipping costs and related expenses.Â
What stands out
Above the fold: Always mention the prime topic of your emails in the above-the-fold portion of your emails. And this isnât limited to webpages, but emails as well, since recipients spend 57% of their viewing time above the fold.Â
15. NatureWiseâOffer jaw-dropping limited-time offers Subject line: Feel your best this Thanksgiving.
NatureWise offers a limited-time offer selling their probiotics collection at 20% off. The copy reinforces urgency, driving attention to the problem (gut health), and pushing users to commit.Â
What stands outÂ
Uppercase: Write your headline in uppercase to grab attention. This kindles an interest for shoppers to read further.Â
16. TLF ApparelâNudge them with relevant content Subject line: Maximize Thanksgiving For Muscle Not Fat đȘ
TLF Apparel uses its content to build website traffic. It addresses a pertinent problemâpost-holiday weight gain. You can learn four important practices to make Thanksgiving email content stand out:Â
Write a headline that questions prevalent knowledge Make a statement and back it up with facts and science Underline what your readers will learn and who this info is for Give a sneak peek of what users will learn and how they can apply it What stands outÂ
Single-column layout: Emails using a single-column layout naturally adapt well on mobile devices making readability easier.
17. TracksmithâFeature a limited-edition product Subject line: Winner, Winner Turkey Dinner
Tracksmith releases a limited edition apparel for the Thanksgiving turkey trot. You would be amazed to know that limited edition products find takers among Gen Z(46% ) and Millennials(45%). Thanks to the exclusivity it offers, 31% of customers donât mind shelling out more for limited edition products.Â
What stands outÂ
Relevancy: Associating yourself with a Thanksgiving tradition such as Turkey trot helps find better user engagement among your target audience.
18. Stitch FixâLeverage a product recommendation quiz Subject line: Look Your Best This Thanksgiving
Product recommendation quizzes like the one Stitch Fix offers in their Thanksgiving email help educate customers. They help in product discovery while offering customers personalized recommendations , a tip you might want to include in your emails.Â
Whatâs more fascinating is that interactive content such as quizzes convert twice as much as static content. Finally, itâs 40x more likely for users to share such content.Â
What stands outÂ
Question: Starting your copy with a question stimulates the brain and it canât think of anything else other than answering the question in the moment. This heightened focus often has a bearing on better conversions.Â
19. Hydro FlaskâAttract shoppers with bundles Subject line: For the bubbly person on your listÂ
Hydro Flask brings out its Thanksgiving gift set to attract value-conscious customers. Bundling a primary product with complementary items increases the perceived value of the product bundle .Â
The copy communicates the context, benefits, and USP persuading customers in a conversational tone.Â
What stands outÂ
Color palette: Implement the 60-30-10 rule to create harmony and contrast in your emails.Â
60% should be the dominant color(pink in the above example), 30% should be a complementary color supporting the dominant color(black), and 10% is your accent color(maroon) balancing the first two.Â
20. Prospective FlowâConvey thanks through a giveaway Subject line: Thanksgiving Giveaway Campaign Pt.2
Prospective Flow is running a Thanksgiving giveaway for the first 30 customers. Youâll want to note that the email specifies the minimum purchase amount required to participate in the giveaway.Â
Notice that this email drives transparency and credibility, immediately earning customer trust.Â
What stands outÂ
White background: Images with white background helps users focus on the product without distracting users.Â
21. Loeffler RandallâUse the three magic words Subject line: This gift is to thank you
And by âthree magic words,â we mean âbefore anyone else.â
While this may sound minor, shoppers may more personally relate to such a phrase as compared to âearly access.â
The highlight on free shipping and returns for domestic orders is just the extra icing on the cake in this Thanksgiving email.Â
What stands outÂ
Account creation nudge: Growing your email list with such nudges can actually improve your micro-conversions over a period of time.Â
22. PostmatesâCreate an engaging narrative Subject line: Reminder: $25 Delivery Fee Credit
While the emailâs subject line draws in the loyalist with $25 delivery fee credit, the email body draws up an unforgettable narrativeâof escaping an uncomfy family situation to eat pumpkin pie on oneâs own couch!
Because the financial particulars are written in bold, shoppers feel more inclined to read the story in microcopy .Â
What stands out
Crisp headline: Itâs the headline that prompts shoppers to read whatâs written in the email bodyâdonât underestimate its power!
23. AnthropologieâIntroduce a sense of community Subject line: The Thanksgiving Table
A good speech is heartwarmingânow bring that into your Thanksgiving email and build a sense of community.Â
Thatâs the takeaway Anthropologie offers us by getting creative with how they say thanks!
What stands out
Gift recommendations: Given that the gift-giving trend rose by 63% during the global pandemic, your Thanksgiving email is a good opportunity for such product recommendations.Â
15 Top Thanksgiving Email Subject Lines 1. Thanks to you, the magic is unfoldingâŠ
2. The Thanksgiving 50% off Countdown starts TODAY!
3. Give thanks to get thanksâexclusive discount for loyalists!
4. 50% off âcuz youâre sweeter than pie!
5. Hereâs your Early Access Discount, Thanks to you!
6. Pre-Thanksgiving Sale: See why itâll just get better!
7. Extending our Pre-Thanksgiving SaleâLast 3 hours!
8. Hereâs 60%OFF your Thanksgiving stress
9. Hereâs a list of Thanksgiving Bestsellers
10. Last Day to Order & Get by Thanksgiving
11. A Special Thank You with 30%off Storewide
12. Your Turâkeyâ to Great Thanksgiving Vibes!
13. Sneak Peek into Your Best Thanksgiving Ever!
14. The Great 70% Today-Only Thanksgiving Sale
15. 60% OFFâGobble Up & Say Thanks!
Top 5 Strategies For Your Thanksgiving Email Campaign While planning for your Thanksgiving email campaign, there are a few top areas youâll need to focus onâhere are 5 that weâve found to be super relevant:
1. Get specific about your US customers Officially speaking, Liberia is the only country other than the US that celebrates Thanksgiving.Â
And that means youâll have to segment your emails and your website content based on specific locations in the US.Â
Offering content based on certain local traditions and rituals can make shopper interest turn into conversions at this time of the year.Â
2. Line up rewards for the most loyal customers Two important factors that impact customer loyalty greatly can be in your favor during Thanksgiving: price and personalization .Â
And because of this, your Thanksgiving emails need to target customers whoâve already been buying frequently from you.Â
While you may offer up to 20% off to new customers at this time, reserve the steeper discounts for those whoâre likely to buy more when they see such a discount.Â
3. Make your content include more than deals Discounts are undeniably great.Â
But during Thanksgiving, shoppers are also looking for great ideas, whether around gifts, styling or recipes.Â
If youâre able to tie up your offerings with value-add content like this, your conversions are more likely to grow.Â
4. Find ways for shoppers to âgive backâ During Thanksgiving, the chief emotion is naturally gratitude.Â
To intensify this, become a brand that aims to âgive backâ to the community and helps its shoppers do so as well.Â
Our suggestion: Create a âgive backâ email, listing out the ways shoppers can âgive backâ if they buy from you, including a donation at checkout, two or three causes that can be checked on the cart page for donations or an amount that youâll give away every time they share the email you sent.Â
5. Make your emails read like a story Everybody says âGive Thanks!ââthe question is how youâre going to say it differently.Â
Weâve noticed clients that do exceedingly well at this time are those who take the story path in their emailsâeither by highlighting the story of a product, the story of an event or the story of a person whose life âgiving backâ touched.Â
When Should Stores Send Thanksgiving Emails? Start sending your emails in the first week of November. NRF reports reveal that 60% of customers start searching online in early November. Before you hit send on your Thanksgiving emails, remember:Â
Higher sends lead to higher unsubscribe rates Test your Thanksgiving subject lines using a subject line tester The best time to send Thanksgiving emails is determined by the behavior of your target audience, including day and timeâif you record more opens and click through on Monday and Wednesday between 3 to 4 PM, thatâs the best time Send your email blasts at 10 AMâthe best proven time according to 10 case studies Remember to personalize your emails for your repeat customers based on their browsing history. 96% of brands that use personalization taste email marketing success. This includes 29% higher unique open rates and a remarkable 41% unique click rates.Â
How To Write Thanksgiving Email Copy To Win Customers All great Thanksgiving emails have one thing in common: brilliant copy. Hereâs what you need to do to come up with yours:
1. Highlight the emotions of the season If your Thanksgiving email copy canât reflect the mood of the average shopper, that can be a problem.Â
Generally, people are super stoked at this time to celebrate with loved ones and look forward to the unfolding of the rest of the holiday season.Â
Words that can create an instant emotional connect:
Memories. Treat. Wishes. Express. Thankful. Appreciate. Gobble. Celebrate. Share.Â
2. Create anticipation A hint of whatâs to come next can also prep recipients with an extra shot of energy.Â
While not many businesses speak about Black Friday/ Cyber Monday , gearing your readers for these events in your copy through cues can build up the excitement.Â
3. Make it all about âgivingâ Whether itâs about you giving them a 25% off or them gifting their loved ones with your recommendations, ensure your copy covers the fullness of âgivingâ and âgiving back.â
When you combine this with the principle of urgency, it can instantly make people convert.Â
In your copy, highlight a limited time code for a discount or say that this is the âlast friends & family sale of the year.â
Recommended reading: 23 Christmas Email Examples & Templates for eCommerce (2024)
35 Slightly Different Black Friday Emails (That Actually Get Attention)
Top 20 lead nurturing emails in eCommerce
How often should eCommerce stores send marketing emails?
Transform Email Marketing Into A Revenue Machine Most eCommerce store owners donât see email as a serious revenue stream.
Ask them about the importance of email marketing, and you'll hear: âWe donât really have a major strategy,â âWe mostly use generic templates,â or âWe just send emails to people on our list.â
BUT AT THE SAME TIME:Â
There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from email marketing.Â
Engage can help you do the same - Book a free demo .
Weâll show you:
workflows we can create for your store, proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and successful templates and strategies from your industry (and others). 
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