Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday email ideas for small business
The two days that bookend the Black Friday weekend are easy to get wrong. Thanksgiving is November 26 and Giving Tuesday is December 1, 2026. Here is what a small shop can send on each, and what to leave out.
Thanksgiving: send less, warmer
Customers are cooking, traveling or with family. A hard sell on the holiday itself can feel tone-deaf, and many shops send one gentle note or skip the day entirely. If you send, make it short, kind and useful.
Idea 1: A thank-you with no ask
Preview: No sale today. Just thanks.
Hi {first name},
We are grateful for you this year. Thank you for shopping with a small business, and for every order, message and visit. Our Black Friday weekend starts tomorrow, and we will have details in your inbox then.
Happy Thanksgiving,
{your name}
Idea 2: Your hours for the holiday weekend
If you have a storefront, a clear list of hours for Thursday through Sunday saves a lot of phone calls. Put the hours at the top.
Idea 3: A last-minute hosting helper
If you sell food, tableware, candles or cookware, a Wednesday email with “three things for your table” and a pickup option helps people who forgot something.
Giving Tuesday: tell the truth about what you give
Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a day for generosity, so the email should be about the cause, not the sale. Only run a giving campaign if you have decided how much you will give and to whom.
Idea 4: A stated share of the day’s sales
Preview: And how we will report back.
Hi {first name},
For Giving Tuesday, we are donating 10% of today’s sales to {named cause}, which {one sentence about what they do locally}. We will share the total on {date}.
[Shop today]
{shop name}
Idea 5: Round up at checkout, or a drive
Collect pantry items, toys or coats in the shop and email the drop-off hours. It asks customers for something other than money.
Idea 6: A thank-you and a result
After the day, tell customers what was raised or collected, with a photo or the receipt if you can. This is the email that builds trust.
What to avoid
- Do not claim a donation you have not decided on or cannot show.
- Do not send the same discount email on both days.
- Do not pressure people on Thanksgiving Day itself.
For the sends around these two days, see the 2026 email schedule, the Black Friday email examples and Small Business Saturday examples.
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