When should a coffee roaster open holiday pre-orders?

Open pre-orders in early November so customers can buy before Black Friday, even if the holiday blends are still being finalized. The order page and the finished coffee can have different deadlines.

What should a holiday coffee pre-order page include?

Put the bag size, price, and ship date right next to the pre-order button. If tasting notes are still being decided, leave them off the page so customers know exactly what they are committing to.

Should I promise a ship date or an arrival date for holiday gifts?

Ships December 5 and arrives December 5 are two different promises. For gift buyers the difference matters, so choose the one you can reliably keep and state it clearly.

Do I need to offer a discount for pre-orders?

No. A 10% early-order discount can help, but it is optional. The main value of pre-orders is knowing demand before buying beans and having cash from those orders to put toward them.

How do pre-orders help plan green coffee purchases?

If fifty people each pre-order a twelve-ounce bag, 37.5 pounds of finished coffee is already sold. You still need to account for roast loss and extra shelf stock, but that base demand is spoken for.

What does the FTC require if I advertise a pre-order ship date?

Under the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, you need a reasonable basis for the advertised ship date. If you cannot meet it, notify customers before the deadline and let them accept the delay or cancel for a prompt, full refund.

Field Notes

By Kam Diba

2 November 2026

Your holiday coffee can ship in December. Sell it in November.

Last year, a coffee roaster I work with missed Black Friday by two days. This year, we’re giving the order page and the coffee different deadlines.

The 2025 holiday blend launched November 30, two days after Black Friday. The 2026 plan opens pre-orders in early November, ahead of Black Friday on November 27.

Give the order page its own date

This year, the plan is to open pre-orders in early November, while the roaster is still working on the blends. That only works if the customer can tell what they’re committing to. I’d put the bag size, the price, and the date it ships right next to the pre-order button. If the tasting notes are still up for grabs, I’d leave them off the page.

One small detail matters when somebody is buying a gift: “ships December 5” and “arrives December 5” are two different promises. Pick the one you can keep.

I suggested 10% off for ordering early. The discount is optional. What I care about is what the owner knows when it’s time to buy beans. Say fifty people each pre-order a twelve-ounce bag. That means 37½ pounds of finished coffee already have a home. The roaster still has to account for roast loss and decide how much extra to put on the shelf. But those first fifty bags are spoken for, and the roaster can put the money toward the beans.

If you’re planning a holiday drop, look at the date you’ve penciled in for launch. Which parts of the work actually have to be done before someone can order? The coffee can take the time it needs. Give the customer a way to buy it in the meantime.

Pick a ship date you can hit. Then start selling.

A note for U.S. sellers: Under the FTC’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, you need a reasonable basis for the shipping date you advertise. If you can’t meet it, notify the customer before the deadline and offer the choice of agreeing to a delay or canceling for a prompt, full refund.