Discount is not a strategy. A sale is not a strategy.

Discounting feels easy. You take the short-term win, hit the target, celebrate and call it growth. But what happens next month? Next quarter? Next year?

Once you start discounting to hit a number, you create an anniversary. Targets rise. CFO expectations rise.The board remembers the sales uplift, not the margin you lost to get it.
And that lift becomes the new baseline you’re judged against.

And then the cycle begins…
More discounts → More volume → Less margin → Same pressure →
Buying stock for the sale → Customers waiting for sales → More discounts.

You’re no longer driving demand, you’re feeding dependency. The customer is trained to wait. You’ve built a business that performs only on sale. Stepping into discounting is easy. Stepping out can take years.

A word of warning: Stepping into discounting is easy.Stepping out can take years.

Discounts drive revenue. Brand drives demand. And demand is where value and margin lives.

As BFCM approaches, the question isn’t:  “How much should we take off?”. It’s: “How do we grow without eroding margin or brand equity?”

Alternatives that build loyalty and protect perception:
🌱 VIP early access
🌱 Limited-edition capsules
🌱 Gift with purchase
🌱 Value-led bundles
🌱 Loyalty or community perks
🌱 Charitable/purpose tie-ins
🌱 Member-only restocks/exclusives

The goal isn’t to eliminate promotions, it’s to use them with purpose.

Sustainable growth comes from protecting margin, strengthening brand perception,
and creating demand that doesn’t rely on discounting.

If you want to break the discount cycle and build a brand that grows at full price, we can help.