Laura is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Postscript. She has spent the past decade working in ecommerce. When she isn't writing about her favorite topic (marketing) or listening to podcasts about her other favorite topic (ecommerce), she's hanging out with her two sons on an island off the coast of Maine.
The Tuesday Before Thanksgiving Is The Best Time to Send a Text
Black Friday has a name. Cyber Monday has a name. The best-performing day on either side of them doesn't, so we gave it one.
Grey Tuesday is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This year, that's November 24.
Here's why it matters. In our 2026 SMS Benchmarks, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving posted a 3.2% campaign click-through rate and $0.31 in earnings per message. That ties Black Friday on revenue per message and beats it on clicks. Cyber Monday, for comparison, came in at 2.4% and $0.24.
It isn't that Tuesday shoppers are more motivated. It's that almost nobody is texting them yet. The inbox is empty, so the one message that lands gets the whole thumb.
Some verticals had their best day of the entire window on Tuesday. Luxury and jewelry brands posted a 7.0% click-through rate, the highest for any vertical on any day. Automotive earned $0.64 per message, also the window high. Home and decor earned $0.44.
What to send:
One broadcast in the morning, framed as early access: the sale starts for you today, before it starts for everyone.
One follow-up that evening to subscribers who clicked but didn't buy. Short, no new offer, just a reminder the window is open.
Hold the full list for Friday. A second full-list send on Tuesday spends the quiet-inbox advantage you came for.
If you sell luxury, automotive, home goods, or anything with a high AOV and a repeat buyer, lead with the offer. If you sell beauty or wellness, where Tuesday numbers were flatter, use it to warm the list: a restock reminder, a bundle, a subscriber-only preview.
Grey Tuesday is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nov 24 in 2026. In Postscript's 2026 SMS Benchmarks it posted a 3.2% campaign click-through rate and $0.31 earnings per message, tying Black Friday on revenue and beating it on clicks, because almost no brands were sending. Send one early-access broadcast in the morning and one follow-up to non-converting clickers in the evening.
FAQ:
What is Grey Tuesday?
Grey Tuesday is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Postscript named it after its 2026 SMS Benchmarks showed the day tied Black Friday on earnings per message ($0.31) and beat it on click-through (3.2% vs 2.7%).
Why does the Tuesday before Thanksgiving perform well for SMS?
Low competition. Few brands send before Thanksgiving, so inboxes are empty and a single campaign gets full attention.
Which brands benefit most from Grey Tuesday?
Luxury and jewelry (7.0% CTR, the highest of any vertical on any day in the window), automotive ($0.64 per message), and home and decor ($0.44 per message).
What should I send on Grey Tuesday? A morning early-access broadcast to the full list, then an evening follow-up to subscribers who clicked but didn't buy. Hold the full list for Black Friday.