Published by Charlotte Davies
20.12.21
You know the drill: as one year draws to a close, it’s time to plan for the next.
The most successful direct-to-consumer brands prepare for the following year well in advance, and you should too.
With 2021 almost over, we’ve put together a list of the most important ecommerce dates you need to mark on your 2022 calendar to ensure it’s your most profitable year yet.
January
1st January – New Year’s Day
‘Out with the old and in with the new.’ The first day of the new year marks a fresh start for everyone. It’s the day when brands across the globe launch their post-holiday sales to attract shoppers looking to spend their Christmas money and gift cards. For merchants, it’s a great opportunity to get rid of seasonal or outdated stock, freeing up space for your new 2022 product lines.
17th January – Blue Monday
The third Monday of January is said to be the most depressing day of the year as everyone is feeling the post-holiday blues. Many brands leverage the opportunity to spin it into a positive day instead, brightening up consumers Monday through competitions, giveaways, flash sales and charity donations.
February
13th February – Galentines Day
If you’re a Parks and Recreation fan, you’ll know this day well. But it’s also grown in popularity over the years and is now a Valentines-Eve tradition across the world. It’s the day to celebrate all the amazing female friendships in your life. For brands with an audience that are largely female-based, this could be a great opportunity for gift guides, recommendations and pop-up events.
14th February – Valentines Day
Loved up couples everywhere enjoy celebrating Valentine’s day. Gone are the days where gifting in cupid’s name is just chocolates and flowers. Shopping starts earlier for Valentine’s day and gifting is more unique than ever and a big deal.
To leverage the opportunity, particularly if you sell anything romantic, make sure your homepage is glittered with gifting ideas and product recommendations. And don’t forget to create an email campaign on the build-up to 14th to create a buzz around the big day.
March
8th March – International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a celebration of the achievements and voices of women across the world. It’s the perfect opportunity for your brand to give those women who have made a difference to your business a shout out.
27th March – Mother’s Day (UK/Ireland) / 9th May (US)
Mother’s Day in the UK is earlier than in the US and other parts of the world. So if you’re selling internationally, it’s worth making a note of the different dates.
Brands can celebrate with gift guides, recommendations, social media competitions and doubling down on your email marketing campaigns. But remember, Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for some, so give your customers the option to opt out of marketing campaigns if you can. The same goes for other sensitive holidays in the 2022 calendar.
April
2nd April – Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. At the end of Ramadan, Eid Ul-Fitr is a celebration marked with feasts, gifts, and spending time with family. This is an important day to mark, even if just to acknowledge in order to show respect to your Muslim customers.
17th April – Easter Weekend
Easter is a popular holiday, particularly in the UK and US. So why not celebrate with a super sweet offer, especially if your products revolve around children or chocolate.
While you may not want to run a specific Easter sale, consider seasonal products or bundles to capture your customers’ attention during the season. It’s also a great opportunity to get creative with your online store’s branding. Why not include gamification on your site such as an Easter egg hunt to keep your customers engaged on site. Or create a competition on social media with a branded hashtag to trigger UGC.
22nd April – Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event to show support for environmental protection. With more and more consumers becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, merchants need to ensure they show these consumers just how much they align with their values and make meaningful actions on Earth Day. From donating to green organisations to demonstrating how committed your brand is to sustainability, show your customers what you’re doing to minimise your impact on the environment.
If you’re in need of some inspiration, check out this list of 35 sustainable brands on Shopify.
June
19th June – Father’s Day
Another big parent-related holiday to mark in your 2022 calendar. Think bundles, recommendations, discount codes and shipping deals. Consider how you’ll promote the event on your store and across your key marketing channels.
But just like with Mother’s day, remember to be sensitive and offer your customers an opt-out option of marketing activities. Customers who find this day particularly difficult will really appreciate it.
Pride Month
June is also Pride Month in the UK and around the world, which marks a month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Pride isn’t just an event that means you have to add rainbow colours to your marketing material, it’s also an opportunity to do more by donating to charities and organisations, and sharing the voices and stories of those in the community.
September
Back to School Day
When the summer holidays are over, there’s a huge demand for educational supplies. Specific dates vary from region to region, and of course, are depended on pandemic restrictions. But the interest in school supplies is never going to vanish and the product list is extensive. From stationary and technology to backpacks and sports apparel, many brands can leverage the opportunity to sell more.
October
31st October – Halloween
October is the month of golden leaves, colder temperatures, and of course, everyone’s favourite reason to dress up: Halloween.
Not every brand will have products they can link to Halloween, but it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the holiday. Why not decorate your online store with a spooktacular theme and colours?
November
11th November – Singles Day
Move over the loved up couples. The 11th of November is for all the single people out there! Originally named Bachelors’ Day, the unofficial holiday originated in China to celebrate being single. And has become one of the world’s biggest shopping days on the calendar.
To ensure it’s a real money-maker for your brand, leverage discounting your top tier products, particularly those in your customers’ wishlists – encourage them to treat themselves.
24th November – Diwali
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a major festival celebrated by Sikh, Jain and Hindu cultures as well as some Buddhists. The festival usually lasts around 5 days and signifies a new beginning, joy, warmth and light. It’s celebrated with feasts, fireworks and time with the family.
24th November – Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November every year. It’s one of the biggest dates in the US holiday calendar, marking the beginning of the holiday season.
For brands, it’s when the busy shopping period starts and marks a good time to bump up your ad spend in preparation for Black Friday Cyber Monday.
25th – 28th November – Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM)
Black Friday Cyber Monday is the biggest sales weekend on the ecommerce calendar. BFCM kicks off on the 25th of November in 2022 and is your chance to make a lot of money. We’ve got tonnes of advice on how to prepare your store for a successful BFCM, but we’d recommend deep diving into your BFCM and post-BFCM data in January 2022, so you can start planning well in advance ahead of November.
December
14th December – Free Shipping Day
Last-minute shoppers sometimes need an extra push to make their all-important Christmas purchases. Enter: Free Shipping Day. Coined by entrepreneur, Luke Knowles and his wife, Free Shipping Day, give customers the confidence that their purchases will arrive in time for Christmas. This has proved to increase sales significantly. So don’t miss out and take advantage of the opportunity.
18th – 26th December – Hanukkah
Hanukkah is an important celebration on the Jewish calendar. Not to be mistaken as a ‘Jewish Christmas’, ensure your brand is aware of this tradition and etiquette so you can celebrate with your Jewish customers.
25th December – Christmas Day
For many households, Christmas day means spending time with family and friends, opening presents and eating delicious feasts. Merchants should leverage this opportunity with Christmas themed and re-targeting ads.
26th December – Boxing Day Sales
Boxing Day is a day for consumers to grab some post-Christmas bargains, particularly for those who were gifted vouchers and money on Christmas Day.
Decorate your store with sales banners, add pop-ups and update your ad creative.
31st December – New Year’s Eve
And before you know it, 2022 will be over and consumers will be celebrating New Year’s Eve. To prepare for the big event, people will be on the lookout for various products, including a new outfit to wear, shoes and accessories, food and drink, party decorations, and much more, so why not consider a temporary New Year’s Eve collection on your store. A brand that does this really well is ASOS with their ‘Women New Year’s Eve Outfits for Women’. However, make sure you can guarantee delivery before the big night, otherwise, you’ll be going into 2023 with a lot of disappointed customers.
Wrapping up
We’ve listed the key ecommerce dates on the 2022 calendar, but we’d recommend going one step further and looking for dates specific to your niche. For example, you’ll want to celebrate National Pizza Day on the 9th of February if you sell pizza ovens. Ultimately, the dates you choose to focus on will be dependent on your business, goals, customers and where in the world you sell.
If you need help to prepare your Shopify Plus store for 2022, get in touch with our team of ecommerce experts today. From conversion optimisation to digital marketing, we’re a full-service Shopify Plus agency and know what it takes to take your brand to the next level.
