The Ecommerce Holiday Calendar: Your 2019 Ecommerce Planning Sorted

There are so many opportunities in a year to reach more shoppers and make more sales.

From Valentine’s Day to Black Friday, there are many occasions that are easy to forget until it’s too late to put a campaign together.

Instead of constantly trying to remember them all, we’ve put together this ecommerce holiday calendar with an overview of customer spend and best products to sell for the entire 2019.

As a bonus, you can download a one-page calendar to always keep up to date with the next important ecommerce holiday!

New Year’s Day — January 1st

The first day of the year is the symbol of starting fresh. For most of us, it’s the time we set goals and intentions for the year, work on improving our habits, and start new challenges.

New Year’s Day traffic on leading ecommerce sites seems to be rising year after year, too.

Can your products help people learn new skills, get fit, or stay on track with their goals? This is the ideal time to promote them.

Target audience: People around the world

Key items to sell:

• Planning tools: stationery, planners, calendars, journals, self-improvement books
• Wellness and fitness gear: workout clothes, running shoes, gym equipment
• Home organization: containers, labels, desk organizers

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 21st

On the third Monday of every January, Americans remember Martin Luther King Jr. and his advances in civil rights. They celebrate his legacy and the actions he took to make our world a better place.

If you serve audiences in the US, this is a time you can infuse your communications with respect for Martin Luther King Jr.’s work and values.

Target audience: America

Key items to sell:

You may be surprised, but the answer is: none. The commercialization of the MLK Day has been widely criticized as the exact opposite of King’s message of peace, faith and unity.

The spokesman of the Atlanta-based King Center (established by King’s widow, Coretta Scott King) said they discourage MLK-driven promotions.

You should either respectfully and genuinely pay tributes to Martin Luther King Jr., or not take any action at all.

Groundhog Day — February 2nd

While Groundhog Day isn’t a holiday that involves huge turkey dinners or the mass overhaul of one’s life goals, it’s a fun opportunity to connect with your audience.

Will we have six more weeks of winter? Or can we jump into our light spring clothes?

This is an ideal chance to get an extra push behind your winter- or spring-based products — depending on whether the groundhog sees its shadow or not, of course.

Target audience: Americans, Canadians (and Bill Murray fans elsewhere)

Key items to sell:

• Winter clothes and accessories: jumpers, coats, hats, boots, gloves
• Winter sport equipment: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating
• Spring/summer collections: dresses, jewelry, sunglasses, footwear
• Seasonal interior decor: candles, throws, plant pots

Super Bowl Sunday — February 3rd

On Super Bowl Sunday, many eyes across the United States are focused on one thing: the game.

Or, when you think about it… Also on food, family, friends, and fun.

You can approach Super Bowl Sunday in two ways.

First, you can promote products that can improve people’s game viewing experience.

Secondly, you can simply spark engagement on social media by polling your audience to find out their favorite teams, snacks, halftime shows, and much more.

Target audience: Americans, NFL fans

Key items to sell:

• Devices: TVs, sound systems
• Food-related items: toasters, grills
• Sports jerseys

Amazon killed it with this tweet that promoted a hot dog toaster:

Valentine’s Day — February 14th

An average consumer spends almost $150 for Valentine’s Day. It’s the time when people are ready to spend — you just have to be in the right place at the right time!

Anything from gift ideas to romantic experiences — or even the opposite of it for people who are single — can go extremely well with your audience on Valentine’s Day.

Target audience: People around the world

Key items to sell:

Anything you can package into a gift idea! Including, but not limited, to items for partners, single friends, family members, and more. Don’t forget the ideas of gifts someone can by for themselves, too!

St. Patrick’s Day — March 17th

St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, but it has grown to become a beloved celebration across the world.

Celebrations typically include cultural and social events, parades, and everything green. From clothes and flags to green drinks and food, it’s a day packed with shamrocks, leprechaun lookalikes, and laughter.

Target audience: Audiences in Ireland and Irish people around the world, especially the UK, Canada, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand

Key items to sell:

• Green clothes
• Green accessories: hats, wigs, flags, headbands, bows
• Items with Irish memorabilia on it (such as Irish flag or phrases)

April Fools’ Day — April 1st

April Fools’ Day is a day of pranks. On April 1st, most people try not to take the world too seriously.

This gives you a good chance not only to promote some more entertaining items from your store, but also to lighten the tone of your marketing in this period, too. Make jokes, share pranks your team has pulled on one another, and make your audience laugh.

Target audience: People in the Western world

Key items to sell:

• Supplies for pranks (like wrapping paper or sticky tape)
• Items with funny quotes and jokes

Another creative way you can go is to launch a campaign that isn’t real. Boden New British did it with their fake Broden product line that led to an error page and a discount code.

There was also a fake Mark Zuckerberg x H&M collaboration that didn’t actually come from H&M, but became widely popular regardless.

Easter — April 21st

Even though it’s as big of a Christian holiday as Christmas, Easter is often considered the less commercialized version of it.

Don’t let that trick you into not taking any action for your online store around Easter! Data from the UK, Denmark, And Sweden have shown increase in sales around Easter time. Many people spend a few days off work and often use them to shop and look for deals.

Marketing campaigns around Easter are usually focused on family time and Easter egg hunt, so if this aligns with your store’s categories, don’t hesitate to push these products more than usual.

Target audience: Countries where Easter is observed

Key items to sell:

• Products for kids: toys, clothes, games
• Family-oriented products: home goods, seasonal decor, cookware
• Anything bunny or egg-themed!

Earth Day — April 22nd

Earth Day is world’s largest environmental movement. It’s the day we power down for an hour and more mindfully consider the way we impact the planet we live on.

As it turns out, consumers are increasingly interested in sustainable products. In fact, 66% of consumers globally have said they’re willing to pay more for products and services from companies committed to positive environmental impact.

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That’s huge! If you offer products that support environmental sustainability, don’t miss out an opportunity to talk about them on Earth Day.

Target audience: People interested in environmental protection and green movement

Key items to sell:

• Reusable water bottles and totes
• Solar-powered clocks, watches, chargers
• Sustainably-made products: kitchenware, clothing, shoes
• Recycling bins

Adidas has been working hard on environmentally friendly fashion for a long time now.

There was no surprise when they announced their Earth Day 2018 campaign: they launched Major League Soccer uniforms made from a material created from coastal plastic waste.

While most online stores won’t be able to do something this big, it’s a reminder to make your green campaigns known to the world!

Mother’s Day — May 12th

Another day that celebrates family, Mother’s Day spending amounts to more than $20 billion each year, making it the third largest retail holiday in the US.

It’s the perfect occasion not only to treat our own mothers but other women in our lives who are mothers.

While there’s no one perfect gift for them all, you can suggest a range of products for many roles, such as mothers or stepmothers, wives, daughters, grandmothers, godmothers, and more.

Target audience: Audiences of ~100 countries, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand (see full list here)

Key items to sell:

• Clothing items
• Jewelry
• Flowers and greeting cards
• Books
• Electronics
• Houseware

One important element of Mother’s Day that some brands seem to have figured out is the fact that Mother’s Day can be a sensitive time for many people.

Some of them, including Marks & Spencer and Bloom & Wild have offered the ability to opt out of emails about Mother’s Day and earned additional trust and respect from their audiences.

Memorial Day — May 27th

Just like the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day isn’t the time to push your products or attempt to make more sales.

As people remember and pay their tributes to those who sacrificed their lives in military service, take the time to show appreciation and patriotism without looking for any benefit to your brand in return

Target audience: Americans

Key items to sell:

None. Ensure your language around this and any other event with cultural significance is well thought out and considerate of the nature of the holiday.

Father’s Day — June 16th

Father’s Day is another opportunity to treat a family member.

The overall Father’s Day spending is now over $15 billion each year, and the average spend per shopper on Father’s Day gifts is more than $130!

Gifts tailored for men in our lives are the perfect opportunity for ecommerce owners to promote the best products for this occasion.

Target audience: Audiences of ~100 countries, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, India, Japan (see full list here)

Key items to sell:

• Clothes
• Personal care products
• Sports gear and accessories
• Products related to cars
• Tech gadgets
• Power tools

Independence Day — July 4th

Americans celebrate the Independence Day outdoors, in warm weather, with friends and family while enjoying food and their time off.

This is the ideal time to ramp up your summer campaigns as the entire week leading up to July 4th is focused on the celebration itself. For this holiday, Americans spent around $7 billion just on food in 2018.

Add all the patriotic merchandise, summer gear, and barbecues, and it’s well worth ramping up your summer promotions in early July

Target audience: Americans

Key items to sell:

• Pool and beach accessories
• Grills and barbecues
• Garden furniture
• Electronics
• Cookware and partyware
• Patriotic items

Labor Day — September 2nd

Labor Day honors the American labor movement and celebrates the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country.

In 2018, US online shoppers spent more than $2 billion. Because Labor Day marks the beginning of back-to-school season while the weather is still great, there’s plenty of opportunity to stand out with relevant products.

Target audience: Americans and Canadians

Key items to sell:

• Barbecues
• Appliances
• Garden/patio furniture and accessories
• Back-to-school supplies
• Final summer fashion sale
• Fall outfits

Halloween — October 31st

Loved by adults and children, Halloween is a huge shopping time for those that enjoy trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and dressing into costumes.

Shoppers now spend more than $9 billion on costumes, candy, decorations, and greeting cards during this holiday. This is the perfect time to dress up your online store in Halloween decor and promote seasonal items.

Target audience: People who celebrate Halloween

Key items to sell:

• Costumes, wigs, face paint
• Greeting cards
• Candy
• Halloween decorations

Veterans Day — November 11th

Veterans Day, an official holiday that honors military veterans, is another day is best approached from a non-commercial perspective.

Any campaign that is focused on Veterans Day should have all copy and visuals triple-checked to ensure it’s respectful and appreciative.

Target audience: Americans

Key items to sell:

None. If your brand identity, messaging, and offerings align with the idea behind Veterans Day, consider ways you can serve veterans.

Some brands who have done this right are:

• Starbucks, who offered free coffees to military veterans and personnel, as well as hired more than 5,500 veterans and military spouses
• Leidos, who feature the men and women in their company who have served in military

Thanksgiving Day — November 28th

Thanksgiving is the first of three major spending days that happen within just a few days.

In 2018, US consumers spent $3.7 billion on Thanksgiving. While this holiday is the time that people prefer to spend with their families and catch up over huge dinners, it’s also the time when many people are shopping for the upcoming holidays.

Even though the official ‘shopping season’ starts the day after, on Black Friday, it’s not too early to start just before Thanksgiving.

Target audience: Americans

Key items to sell:

• Any family-focused items
• Gift ideas on early-bird sales

Black Friday — November 29th

Black Friday is the shopping day. People camp out in anticipation of Black Friday. Mobile spend alone totals over $1 billion in sales on Black Friday.

And don’t forget: this day marks the beginning of the shopping season that comprises 30% of all sales for the year.

There are brands that willingly opt-out of jumping on the Black Friday train, and that’s totally okay as long as they know the revenue they’re leaving on the table. The choice is your to make!

Target audience: People worldwide looking for bargains and holiday shoppers

Key items to sell:

Everything! Whatever you sell, your customers hope to see it discounted or packaged into a special deal when Black Friday comes. Start preparing your Black Friday campaigns on time.

Cyber Monday — December 2nd

Cyber Monday follows right after Black Friday, keeping up the shopping momentum from the previous week.

Retailers often offer even higher discounts on Cyber Monday and use them as a scarcity tactic as most discounts are gone for a while once Cyber Monday is gone.

BigCommerce quoted the following two data points: 2017’s Cyber Monday saw mobile internet’s first $2 billion dollar day, according to Business Insider, while BigCommerce merchants experienced their highest sales week ever.

The Cyber Monday shopping hype is here to stay, so make sure you’re prepared!

Target audience: People worldwide looking for bargains and holiday shoppers

Key items to sell:

Just like with Black Friday, the answer is — everything. Make your campaigns across all channels ready for the surge in sales and attract new shoppers that will keep returning to you even after the shopping week is over.

Christmas — December 25th

Christmas is a family holiday, but it’s also an opportunity that many take to honor their loved ones with gifts.

Do you consider any of your products gift-worthy? If so, don’t skip the Christmas sales opportunity.

Furthermore, remember that while traffic is consistent throughout this period, consumers typically stop buying about a week before Christmas. On top of that, post-Christmas campaigns can bring you lots of success, too — so make sure you’re not only focusing on Christmas day.

Target audience: Christians around the world

Key items to sell:

• Christmas-themed items: jumpers, accessories, home decor
• Winter-focused home decor
• Any products that someone would be happy to receive, as well as multiple products that can be bundled up as a gift!

Start Your E-commerce Holiday Planning Now

With these dates, tips, and products in mind, you can start sketching out an entire year of campaigns for your online store.

To make sure you never miss any of these opportunities, download our printable calendar that will keep you on track!

Originally published at blog.jumper.ai on March 21, 2019.