Black Friday is done - woohoo! Your customers have seen every discount going, and your margins need a breather. December is when gifting kicks in, so the best offers make buying gifts easier, faster and a little more fun.
This guide walks through eight Christmas themed offers you can run using Unicorn's cart and bundle tools.
Offer | Unicorn feature | Best for |
One for you, one for me | Cross-sell bundle | Hero products people gift and keep |
Gift sets and build a gift box | Mix and Match Bundle | Stores with lots of small, giftable items |
Stocking stuffers | One tick upsell or cross-sell | Low-price add-ons under $40 |
Gift wrap | One tick upsell | Giftable items (and if you have your own warehouse or a nice 3PL!) |
Priority processing | One tick upsell | The last two weeks before Christmas |
Shipping cutoff countdown | Cart banners with scheduling | Every store shipping before Christmas |
Gift with purchase: a gift card for next year | Add to Unlock | Bringing customers back in January |
Prize with purchase | Add to Unlock or cart banner | Building buzz in early December |
1. One for you, one for me
When a shopper adds certain giftable items to their cart, offer them a second one for themselves at a bundle price. Holiday shoppers are already in a generous mood, and a little self-gifting is an easy yes.
Feature: Cross-sell bundle
Setup guides:
Festive examples
"One for them, one for you 🎄 Grab a second for 15% off."
"You deserve a present too. Add another and save $10."
"Twinning this Christmas? Get 2 for $79."
Pet brands: "One for your pup, one for their bestie."
How to set it up
In Unicorn, go to Bundles and create a new cross-sell bundle.
Choose your trigger product. Pick a bestseller that people buy as a gift and keep for themselves.
Set the bundle product as the same item (or a matching one) and add your bundle discount.
Write your festive headline using one of the examples above.
Choose where the bundle shows in your cart, then save and preview.
Tip: Keep the bundle price simple. "2 for $79" reads faster in a slide cart than "15% off your second item".
2. Gift sets and build a gift box
Let shoppers build their own gift from products you already stock. It turns everyday items into a gift set, with no new launch and no extra stock to buy in.
Feature: Mix and Match Bundle
Setup guides:
Festive examples
Beauty: "Build your glow box. Pick any 3 minis for $49."
Fashion: "The Christmas capsule. Any 2 tops + 1 bottom for $150."
Pet: "Santa Paws box. Choose 4 treats and toys for $45."
Lifestyle: "Fill their stocking. Pick 5 for $60."
Secret Santa: "The $30 Secret Santa box. Pick any 3 under $15."
How to set it up
In Unicorn, go to Bundles and create a new Mix & Match bundle.
Choose the products shoppers can pick from. Stick to one collection so the choice feels easy.
Set how many items make up the box and the bundle price.
Give it a festive name and image, like "The Glow Box" or "Santa Paws Box".
Add the bundle builder to a page on your store, then link to it from your cart and homepage.
Tip: Add a ready-made gift message or gift wrap option to the box (see offer 4) so it feels like a finished present.
3. Stocking stuffers
Show small, low-price add-ons right before checkout. These are impulse buys, so keep them under $20 and make adding them a single tap.
Feature: One tick upsell (one product) or cross-sell (a few options)
Setup guides:
How to add an Upsell to your Cart (Product Upsell vs One Tick Upsell)
Festive examples
"Stocking stuffer? Add a mini lip balm for $9 🎁"
"Don't forget the stockings. Our cosy socks are just $15."
"Add a Christmas treat for your pup, $8."
"Little extras under $20" as a cross-sell carousel of minis, accessories and travel sizes.
How to set it up
Pick 1 to 4 products under $20 that suit almost any order.
For one product, create a One tick upsell. For products you want to show larger images for, create a cross-sell
Write a festive headline and add a product image that looks giftable.
Place it near the checkout button so it's the last thing shoppers see.
Save and preview your cart.
Tip: Use cart block targeting to hide the stocking stuffer if it's already in the cart, or to show different extras based on what's in there.
4. Gift wrap
Offer gift wrapping as a one-tap add-on. Shoppers love having one less job before Christmas, and gift wrap is nearly all margin for you.
Feature: One tick upsell
Setup guides:
How to Collect Extra Info with an Attribute Block in the Cart (for gift messages)
Festive examples
"Gift wrap this order for $5 🎀 We'll make it look gorgeous."
"Sending it straight to them? Add gift wrap and a handwritten note, $7."
"Wrapped and ready to go under the tree, $6."
"Eco gift wrap in recycled paper, $5."
How to set it up
In Shopify, create a gift wrap product with a price and a nice photo of a wrapped parcel. If you offer a gift note, add a note field or a separate product.
In Unicorn, create a One tick upsell and select your gift wrap product.
Write your headline. Keep it short so it fits on one line in the cart.
Place it near the checkout button.
Save and preview your cart, then place a test order to check the gift wrap comes through to your packing team.
Tip: Let your warehouse or packing team know before you switch this on, so wrapped orders don't get missed in the rush.
5. Priority processing
Let shoppers pay a little extra to jump the queue. As the shipping cutoffs get close, worried gift buyers will happily pay for peace of mind.
Feature: One tick upsell
Setup guides:
Festive examples
"Jump the queue 🎅 Packed and shipped within 24 hours for $8."
"Cutting it close? Add priority processing for $10."
"Santa's express lane. Your order goes to the front, $5."
How to set it up
In Shopify, create a priority processing product with a price. Use a simple image, like a clock or a little sleigh.
In Unicorn, create a One tick upsell and select your priority processing product.
Write your headline and say exactly what shoppers get, such as "shipped within 24 hours".
Use cart block scheduling to switch it on for the last two weeks before your shipping cutoff.
Save and preview your cart.
Tip: Only promise what your team can deliver. Agree the turnaround with your warehouse before you go live, and check how priority orders show up so they get packed first.
6. Shipping cutoff countdown
Use cart banners to tell shoppers exactly when to order, then schedule them to change as each date passes. Set it up once in late November and your cart updates itself all month.
Feature: Cart banners with cart block scheduling
Setup guides:
Festive examples
Swap in your own carrier dates. These change every year and by region, so check your carrier's Christmas cutoffs first.
Banner | Show from | Show until |
"🎄 Order by [standard cutoff] for delivery before Christmas" | 1 December | Standard cutoff |
"⏰ Standard shipping has closed. Choose express by [express cutoff] to arrive in time" | Day after standard cutoff | Express cutoff |
"Missed the post? Grab a gift card, delivered instantly 🎁" | Day after express cutoff | 24 December |
"Boxing Day is here. Treat yourself ✨" | 26 December | Your chosen end date |
How to set it up
Check your carrier's Christmas cutoff dates for standard and express shipping.
In Unicorn, create a cart banner for each message in BANNER
Scroll down to the Block scheduling settings on each banner and set its start and end date and time.
Check the dates line up so there's no gap, and no two banners show at once.
Save and preview each banner.
Tip: Pair the express cutoff banner with priority processing (offer 5) and the "missed the post" banner with a gift card upsell, so every message has an action attached.
7. Gift with purchase: a gift card for next year
When shoppers spend over a set amount, give them a voucher to use in January. It lifts AOV now and brings customers back during the quietest month of the year.
Feature: Add to Unlock (or Stealth Add to Unlock for a surprise)
Setup guides:
Festive examples
"Spend $100, get a $20 voucher for January 🎁"
"Your gift from us: spend $150 and get $25 to spend in the new year."
Tiered: "Spend $80, get $10 for January. Spend $150, get $25."
Stealth: "Surprise! You've unlocked $20 to spend in January ✨"
How to set it up
In Shopify, create a gift card product, such as "$20 January Voucher", with a festive image.
In Unicorn, create an Add to Unlock offer and set your spend threshold and select the voucher product as the 'gift'
Add a custom image of the voucher to the progress bar so shoppers can see what they're unlocking.
Save, preview and place a test order.
Tip: Give the voucher a clear start and end date, like 1 to 31 January. It creates urgency and keeps it from eating into your next sale.
8. Prize with purchase
Every order over a set amount goes into a draw, with the winner picked before Christmas. It builds buzz in early December and gives shoppers a reason to add one more thing.
Feature: Add to Unlock or a cart banner
Setup guides:
3 creative offers to run during your sale (includes Prize With Purchase)
Festive examples
"Spend $75 and you're in the draw to win $500 of goodies 🎅 Winner announced 18 December."
"An early Christmas present? Every order over $100 could win a year's supply."
"You're in! This order is entered into our Christmas draw ✨"
Tiered: "Spend $50 for 1 entry. Spend $100 for 3 entries."
How to set it up
Choose your prize, entry threshold, entry period and draw date. Announce the winner before your last shipping cutoff so the prize arrives before Christmas.
Check the competition rules where you sell. Giveaways and prize draws often need terms and conditions, and some places need a permit.
To show progress, create an Add to Unlock offer with a $0 "Christmas draw entry" product. This also tags each entry on the order, so you can pull your list of entries. For a simpler version, use a cart banner.
Link to your full terms and conditions from the banner or product.
Save, preview and place a test order.
Tip: Share the winner on social and email (with their permission). It proves the draw is real and gives you one more festive post.
Your December calendar
You don't need to run all eight at once. Run your always-on offers all month, and schedule the time-sensitive ones around your shipping cutoffs.