Retail Marketing Calendar 2024: Key Dates, Campaign Ideas, and Ready-To-Use Templates

How do you do it? You’ve got to plan, plan, plan.

To help, we put together this 2024 retail marketing calendar to help you strategize your:

• Seasonal discounts
• Engaging promotions
• Must-win giveaways
• Well-timed product launches

We’ve got a full list of all the holidays you’d expect plus a few more thrown in for fun. National Bobblehead Day, anyone? And we’ve pulled them all into an downloadable one-page overview of 2024. Finally, we’ve rounded up some great examples of how top e-commerce brands are driving revenue with exciting holidays. 

Your 2024 retail marketing calendar

Here’s a quick overview of many of the holidays (real and fun) that you can tap into for promotions, sales, and celebrations: 

January:

• January 1: New Year’s Day
• January 2: World Introvert Day
• January 7: National Bobblehead Day (US)
• January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 20: National Cheese Lover’s Day (US)
• January 22: Community Manager Appreciation Day (US)
• January 26: Australia Day

February: 

• February 2: Groundhog Day
• February 4: World Cancer Awareness Day
• February 7: National Girls and Women in Sports Day (US)
• February 10: Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon)
• February 11: Super Bowl Sunday
• February 14: Valentine’s Day
• February 15: Singles Awareness Day
• February 16: Do a Grouch a Favor Day
• February 17: World Random Acts of Kindness Day
• February 19: Presidents’ Day (US)
• February 20: Family Day (Canada)

March: 

• March 1: Global Day of Unplugging
• March 3: World Wildlife Day
• March 8: International Women’s Day
• March 10: Mother’s Day (UK)
• March 10: 96th Academy Awards (date subject to change)
• March 11: Ramadan begins
• March 14: Pi Day
• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
• March 18: Global Recycling Day
• March 19: First Day of Spring
• March 19: NCAA Finals Begins (date subject to change)
• March 20: International Day of Happiness
• March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
• March 29: Mom & Pop Business Owners’ Day
• March 29: Good Friday
• March 31: Easter Sunday

April: 

• April 1: April Fool’s Day
• April 1: Easter Monday
• April 2: International Children’s Book Day
• April 7: World Health Day
• April 15: World Art Day
• April 20: 4/20
• April 22: Earth Day
• April 22: Passover Begins
• April 28: National Pet Parents Day (US)
• April 29: International Dance Day

May: 

• May 2: International Harry Potter Day
• May 4: Star Wars Day
• May 4: International Firefighters Day
• May 4: Kentucky Derby (US) 
• May 5: Cinco de Mayo (US)
• May 6: Teacher Appreciation Week (US)
• May 6: Early May Bank Holiday (UK)
• May 7: World Laughter Day
• May 8: No Socks Day
• May 12: Mother’s Day (US and most parts of the world)
• May 19: World Baking Day
• May 25: Global Africa Day
• May 27: Memorial Day (US)
• May 27: Spring Bank Holiday (UK)

June: 

• June 1: Global Parents Day
• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 11: Global Wellness Day
• June 14: Flag Day (US)
• June 16: Father’s Day
• June 19: Juneteenth (US)
• June 21: National Selfie Day (US)
• June 21: World Day of Music
• June 21: First Day of Summer
• June 29: Tour de France begins (date subject to change)
• June 30: Social Media Day

July: 

• July 1: Canada Day
• July 1: Wimbledon Tennis Championship starts (date subject to change)
• July 2: Made in the USA Day
• July 4: Independence Day (US)
• July 7: World Chocolate Day
• Mid-July: Amazon Prime Day* (exact date varies)
• July 17: World Emoji Day
• July 26: Paris Summer Olympics starts (date subject to change)
• July 30: International Day of Friendship

August: 

• August 8: International Cat Day
• August 9: National Book Lovers’ Day (US)
• August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
• August 19: World Humanitarian Day
• August 26: Women’s Equality Day (US)
• August 26: National Dog Day (US)
• August 26: Summer Bank Holiday (UK)
• August 31: World Distance Learning Day / Blog Day

September: 

• September 2: Labor Day (US)
• September 5: International Day of Charity
• September 8: Grandparents Day (US)
• September 8: International Literacy Date 
• September 11: Patriot Day (US)
• September 13 International Chocolate Day
• September 21: International Day of Peace
• September 21: Oktoberfest begins in Munich, Germany
• September 22: First Day of Fall
• September 27: World Tourism Day
• September 30: International Podcast Day

October: 

• October 1: International Coffee Day
• October 4: World Animal Day 
• October 5: World Teachers’ Day
• October 10: World Mental Health Day
• October 14: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day (US)
• October 14: Canadian Thanksgiving
• October 16: World Food Day
• October 19: Sweetest Day (US)
• October 25: World Pasta Day 
• October 31: Halloween
• October 31: Diwali

November: 

• November 1: World Vegan Day
• November 7: Election Day (US)
• November 11: Veterans Day (US) / Remembrance Day (UK/Australia/Canada)
• November 13 World Kindness Day
• November 28: Thanksgiving Day (US) 
• November 29: Black Friday (US) 
• November 30: Small Business Saturday (US)
• December 2: Cyber Monday (US) 
• December 3: Giving Tuesday (US) 

December: 

• December 1: World AIDS Day
• December 9: Green Monday
• December 14: National Free Shipping Day (US)
• December 15: International Tea Day
• December 21: Super Saturday
• December 21: First Day of Winter
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 25: Hanukkah Begins
• December 26: Boxing Day (UK, Canada, and other countries)
• December 26: Kwanzaa begins
• December 31: New Year’s Eve

📅 Get our free retail marketing calendar.

Why create a retail marketing calendar for your brand

A retail marketing calendar will help you plan ahead for promotions, show appreciation for your customers, and be more creative with your marketing strategy. Your retail marketing calendar will help you:

• Support the business throughout the year without creating messages that clash or compete. You’ll also be able to offer a variety of promotions because you’ll see your entire plan in one place. 
• Drive revenue, list growth, and engagement outside of peak buying times. This gives you the flexibility to purchase enough product during low cash flow months to prep for your peaks and meet demand for major shopping times.

• Help you get ahead so you’re not scrambling and chasing down each holiday. You’ll have ample prep time for each event and tailor them to your brand messaging.
• Fit in major brand moments like product launches or an annual warehouse sale.

Maximize demand and increase revenue using the Four Peaks Theory

Most retail brands build their annual marketing strategy around just two major spikes in revenue — typically Black Friday and one other brand-specific peak. But those brands are missing big opportunities to drive revenue during the natural valleys as well.

For example, an ecommerce men’s skin care brand might focus on Cyber Monday and Father’s Day. Or a drinkware brand might focus on Back to School and Black Friday. That cadence produces a huge fluctuation in ROAS throughout the year. These brands are prepping for peak season when sales are down, causing a decrease in revenue. 

With a four-peaks strategy, brands spread out their sales spikes by actively creating peaks and reducing the impact of valleys on revenue and ROAS.

For instance a drinkware brand that sells seasonal or limited-edition products can drive sales through promotions of those products. They don’t need to wait for back-to-school season. They can do a release of Valentine’s Day themed products in February and Halloween designs in the fall. 

How to plan your 2024 retail calendar

Brands that use the Four Peaks Strategy focus on core insights from their industry, customers, and brand to increase demand and drive revenue. They do this in a few ways:

• They tap into their customers’ natural patterns and needs. 
• They tie cultural moments to their brand mission or story. 
• They release new products during off-season. 
• They plan ahead and budget for their promotions.

With six steps, you’ll be able to establish an annual cadence of marketing activities for your brand based on similar insights. 

1. Align your campaigns with your annual revenue peaks

To find your existing peaks, you’ll need to zoom out and consider how your customers currently shop with your brand throughout the year. For many brands, the November/December gift-giving season will be one of them.

Highly giftable brands probably see a peak on other gift-giving holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day. A wellness brand might experience a peak in January. And travel brands often experience a summer peak.

Certain demographics buy around holidays or milestones. For instance, parents buy graduation gifts every spring. Some brands have customers whose needs drive purchases in what other brands would consider an off season. An ecommerce retailer that sells hiking boots might see a spike in sales after the holidays as hikers prepare for the spring.

Then decide what holidays and events fall near these natural peaks. To tailor your list to the needs of your brand, industry, and customers, consider adding:

• dates specific to your organization (e.g., your company’s birthday)
• sales events that happen annually (e.g., Toyotathon)
• occasions with social or cultural significance (e.g., Breast Cancer Awareness month)
• events that are important to your customers (e.g., Pumpkin Spice Latte release at Starbucks)

This list will give you a strong jumping off point as you work through the other steps. 

2. Find gaps for big brand moments 

Next, you want to look at filling the valleys that happen in between your natural revenue bumps. That way you can create special moments for your customers that will drive sales when you’re not in your peak season.

One way to create an opportunity is to release a highly anticipated product. For instance, Apple holds an annual event in September where they reveal updates to their products. Then, they release the new iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. right after. This helps them pull in revenue ahead of Black Friday sales and support the end-of-year promotions.  

[Ring example?]

As you look for ways to create these brand moments, you’ll want to avoid the lowest point of the year (for many brands that’s January). But don’t forget to coordinate your promotions so they don’t clash with surrounding events or holidays.

Let’s say you want to have a warehouse sale next summer. You might want to consider a few existing calendar dates, such as:

• Independence Day — This is a popular time for sales in the U.S., but if you combine your idea with a July 4th sale, you’ll miss an opportunity to have two summer promotions.
• Father’s Day — This is a peak time for many brands, but is a gift-giving holiday the ideal fit for a warehouse sale? 
• Juneteenth — This holiday is commemorative, not celebratory, so you’ll want to avoid scheduling your blowout on June 19th.

3. Determine holidays and cultural moments that are relevant to your brand

We’ve provided a list of holidays and events to get you started, but your brand’s unique circumstances are a big part of the Four Peaks Strategy. So you can use certain holidays or cultural moments, and social touchstones to engage with your customers in new ways, particularly for dates that are relevant to your company’s mission.

For example, pet toy retailers might focus on National Pet Parents Day. Meanwhile, a brand that supports clean water access might create promotions around Earth Day and World Humanitarian Day.

Even if you won’t be acknowledging a specific holiday or event, it’s important to know what’s happening in your customers’ worlds so that you don’t launch a marketing campaign that seems insensitive. Consider adding black-out dates to your calendar to remind yourself not to schedule campaigns or sales on certain days.

4. Write down anything you know about your offers

While you may not have any specific details set in stone, you can create a rough game plan for each event. For example, will your offer be a discount or coupon? Or maybe you’re considering fundraising for a charity. You might even opt for a membership drive for your rewards program. 

The idea at this stage is to make sure you aren’t running too many of the same kind of offer throughout the year. If you see you’re offering a 10% off code each time you contact your mailing list, maybe you want to offer a larger discount or offer a BOGO. Then again, maybe you want to give a discount on a single item. 

This strategy will also give you a chance to get creative and find new ways to engage your audience and drive sales with your most loyal customers. For instance, CROSSNET offers cash back instead of discount codes. 

🤑Drive more revenue per customer with ConvertFlow’s Cross-Sell & Upsell App.

5. Plan your campaigns up to a year in advance

A solid lead time will always give your campaign a better chance of success, but in many cases, you can make do by setting up your campaigns’ dates and then refining the specifics in the three to six months leading up to the event. 

Some factors that may affect the length of your planning period include:

• Production — Your manufacturer will probably need orders a few months in advance. If you wait until the last minute, you may not have the inventory you need to meet demand. 
• Shipping — Mail and Freight carriers tend to see peaks throughout the year as well. Give yourself enough time to receive inventory and coordinate delivery to your retailers.
• Purpose — Consider who your customers are buying for. This will help you tailor the offer and included products to their needs. 
• Timing — Keep in mind when people are buying in relation to a specific holiday. People buy in advance for gift-giving holidays like Mother’s Day and Graduation, but when people buy for themselves (like a Labor Day sale), their purchases are more impulsive. 

There is one major factor to consider when determining your planning period: how much you’ll be competing with other brands for revenue, resources, and customers. For example, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) promos almost always benefit from a lead time of six months or more. 

ConvertFlow makes it easy to create and launch campaigns with Broadcasts. You can even automate your BCFM emails. 

6. Personalize your campaigns for even more of a boost

It’s tempting to blast your audience with the same campaigns, sending the same message to everyone. But even if the offer is the same (e.g. a 20% off sitewide sale), you can personalize your copy, product recommendations, and imagery to each audience segment to make them more likely to act on your offer.

ConvertFlow helps you personalize your offers and messaging across all your owned channels. 

• Easily Personalize Websites, Without Coding 
• Product Recommendation Software & Tools 
• Ecommerce Quiz Builder 
• Cart Abandonment Software
• Landing Page & Funnel Builder
• CRO Platform - Split Test Pages, Popups & More

January 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

January is a time people typically focus on health, wellness, and new beginnings. That makes it a great time for just about any brand to create customer-focused moments.

Possible January 2024 themes

• Dry January: A focus on reducing alcohol consumption. Participants abstain from beer, wine, or spirits for the entire month. 
• Veganuary: An opportunity to promote veganism and increase visibility. 
• Wellness Reset: Instead of focusing on weight loss, think of wellness holistically: financial, physical, and mental wellness are great alternatives.

January 2024 holidays and events

• January 1: New Year’s Day
• January 2: World Introvert Day
• January 7: National Bobblehead Day (US)
• January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 20: National Cheese Lover’s Day (US)
• January 22: Community Manager Appreciation Day (US)
• January 26: Australia Day

January campaign examples and best practices

Traditionally, New Year’s campaigns centered on diets and weight loss, but in recent years, content has moved toward self-improvement of all kinds. Successful campaigns often use the entire month of January to create a sales peak. 

❌ Don’t focus on weight loss or resolutions. Instead, talk about wellness and overall wellbeing. Customers aren’t into post-holiday shame. They want to be inspired.

✅ Do find something unique about your products or customers that helps you make a memorable connection. Everyone has clearance sales. What can you do to stand out? 

Campaign example: Warby Parker runs a year-long New Year’s promotion

Eyewear brand Warby Parker found a fun way to connect with its customers starting in January and continuing throughout all of 2023. Their New Year’s campaign spans the entire calendar year.

In January, their New Year’s email featured all 12 zodiac signs as styles of glasses. It’s a modern, sophisticated take on the old-school “What hamburger are you?” style quizzes.

Throughout the year, they sent emails for each zodiac sign, highlighting one or more of their products. In their email for Cancer season, Warby Parker compared the hard, protective shell of the crab with the protection of sunglasses. 

Campaign example: Moment offers virtual self-improvement through creativity and learning

Moment is a marketplace for photographers and filmmakers that carries everything from cameras and accessories to digital goods like online courses and software presets. 

Their New Year’s sale focused on self improvement, of the intellectual and creative variety with deep discounts on their online courses, LUTs, and presets.

It’s a great way to tap into both the spirit of the New Year and offer the deep sales customers expect post-holiday season.

Campaign example: Camp does National Cheese Lover’s Day during Veganuary

Camp, a brand that sells vegan mac n’ cheese, offered an alternative to animal products on a day that celebrates one of the best known products: cheese.

Their email campaign offered subscribers 15% off in honor of National Cheese Lover’s Day. 

What works best about this campaign is its tie to Camp’s core audience. January Veganuary, a month-long celebration promoting veganism and increasing visibility of plant-based food. 

February 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

February 2024 holidays and events

• February 2: Groundhog Day
• February 4: World Cancer Awareness Day
• February 7: National Girls and Women in Sports Day (US)
• February 10: Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon)
• February 11: Super Bowl Sunday
• February 14: Valentine’s Day
• February 15: Singles Awareness Day
• February 16: Do a Grouch a Favor Day
• February 17: World Random Acts of Kindness Day
• February 19: Presidents’ Day (US)
• February 20: Family Day (Canada)

Possible February 2024 themes

• Black History Month: February has Black History as its official designation, so lots of brands will be planning offers and products around the event. Be sure to amplify Black voices rather than simply offering themed merchandise.
• Valentine’s Day: Romance always takes center stage in February, but this can also be a great time to honor other relationships, like friends, family, and mentors. 
• LGBTQ History: In the UK, February is also a month for honoring members of the queer community. 

February campaign examples and best practices

It’s easy to fall back on tradition and cover your marketing messaging in pink and red hearts, but February is about more than St. Valentine. With commemorative events like Black History Month, Lunar New Year, and World Random Acts of Kindness Day, you’ve got plenty of room to diversify your retail marketing calendar.  

❌ Don’t just focus on romantic love. You’ll be just one more message in an inbox full of generic Valentines. What can you do to prove how much you love your customers?

❌ Don’t commodify Black History Month. If you want to honor the history of Black people in the U.S. and around the world, it should be both a celebration and commemoration. If you only focus on the merchandise, your customers will notice.

✅ Do expand your definition of love to include family, friends, culture, and even pets. You’ll include more customers and excite your biggest fans with a new take on a highly commercialized holiday.  

✅ Do amplify Black-owned businesses and historic Black figures from your industry. Your February campaigns will be more authentic and you’ll build a more diverse culture and brand.  

Campaign example: Frank Body sends love letters to your loved ones

Frank Body, a skin care brand with a knack for personification, kicked off Valentine’s Day 2023 with a fun email campaign that combined modern marketing methods with old school romance vibes. 

The email proclaims, “This Valentine’s Day I’m bringing back the love letter.” And in their signature frank style, they offered to send their customers’ favorite babes a love letter. 

By matching the brand’s irreverent style with the messaging and adding a twist of snail mail, Frank Body captured the essence of why Valentine’s Day is about more than just candy and flowers.

March 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

Promotions in March often center on Spring and renewal. In the US, many tie sales to the period of the NCAA Basketball Finals trademarked as March Madness. Also, Easter and Ramandan fall in March this year.

March 2024 holidays and events

• March 1: Global Day of Unplugging
• March 3: World Wildlife Day
• March 8: International Women’s Day
• March 10: Mother’s Day (UK)
• March 10: 96th Academy Awards (date subject to change)
• March 11: Ramadan begins
• March 14: Pi Day
• March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
• March 18: Global Recycling Day
• March 19: First Day of Spring
• March 19: NCAA Finals Begins (date subject to change)
• March 20: International Day of Happiness
• March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
• March 29: Mom & Pop Business Owners’ Day
• March 29: Good Friday
• March 31: Easter Sunday

March 2024 themes

• Women’ History Month: An opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of women throughout history. 
• Competition: It’s time for a major basketball tournament and entertainment awards.  
• Go Green: An opportunity to use the variety of meanings behind the word “green.” 

March campaign examples and best practices

With International Women’s Day at the beginning of the month, many brands use the opportunity to highlight female business owners. Most businesses will also honor St. Patrick’s Day — it’s a fun holiday that can withstand some silly or irreverent marketing. But March is full of moments to offer sales or create demand for your products. 

❌ Don’t use trademarked names in your advertising. March Madness is trademarked by the NCAA. Oscars is trademarked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

✅ Do get creative with your terminology. You can tap into the competitive spirit of these events without using another brand’s trademark. Or use a unique play on words to weave their themes into your promotions. 

Campaign example: Blush redesigns International Women’s Day

Blush is known for its customizable illustrations, thanks to how easy they are to modify to fit any color palette or brand identity. For International Women’s Day, they released a pack of illustrations called “We Are Women.”  

The email also asked readers to design a social media post for International Women’s Day and share it.

Campaign example: Clare goes green all month long 

Designer paint brand Clare is known for its gorgeous home decor ideas and founder Nicole Gibbons’ mission to make buying paint easier. The brand promoted its most popular green shades on Instagram around St. Patrick’s Day 2023, and they followed up their paint colors post with ways to use the colors.

A week’s worth of decorating inspo? Now, that’s what we call curated!

April 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

April is a popular month for sales, but in 2024, it’s pretty light on major holidays. Use this month to focus on individual themed days that relate to your brand, like World Health Day or National Pet Parents Day. Thematically, consider family, sustainability, or creativity.

April 2024 holidays and events

• April 1: April Fool’s Day
• April 1: Easter Monday
• April 2: International Children’s Book Day
• April 7: World Health Day
• April 15: World Art Day
• April 20: 4/20
• April 22: Earth Day
• April 22: Passover Begins
• April 28: National Pet Parents Day (US)
• April 29: International Dance Day

April 2024 themes

• Family: A chance to highlight all forms of family: children, pets, friends, etc.
• Earth Month: Promote sustainability efforts, Earth Day promotions, or other conservation initiatives. 
• Diversity Month: A month-long celebration of everything that makes our world diverse: art, race, nationality, culture, music, and more.

April campaign examples and best practices

Without Easter to anchor April this year, many brands will probably shy away from big sales. But if you’re leaning into the Four Peaks Theory, this could be a moment for your brand to shine — if you know how to frame it.  

❌ Don’t just choose a random date or unrelated theme. It will come across as inauthentic to your customers, and you’ll lose their trust. 

✅ Do tie your promotions to your brand’s mission or company values. About 90% of consumers say they are loyal to brands that share their values.

Campaign example: Pact celebrates sustainability for Earth Month

As Earth’s Favorite™ clothing company, it’s no surprise Pact hosted a big sale for Earth Month. Even their best-selling Fit & Flare dress was part of the sale, with a whopping 50% discount.  

Since sustainability is central to Pact’s brand, Earth Month was a great month to kick off a sitewide sale. Tie-ins like this can turn an otherwise ho-hum month into a sales peak for your brand.

Campaign example: Unsplash celebrates Earth Day’s 50th birthday

At first glance, you might not make the connection between Unsplash, a stock photo company, and Earth Day. But for a brand that started a supportive community dedicated to making beautiful images accessible, Earth Day is a picture-perfect fit. 

In 2020, Unsplash honored the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with a call to submit nature photos and celebrate the environment through photography.

May 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

May 2024 holidays and events

By May, most people are beginning to get anxious for summer. That lends a celebratory feel to the month leading up to events like Mother’s Day and other holidays in the US and UK. 

• May 2: International Harry Potter Day
• May 4: Star Wars Day
• May 4: International Firefighters Day
• May 4: Kentucky Derby (US) 
• May 5: Cinco de Mayo (US)
• May 6: Teacher Appreciation Week (US)
• May 6: Early May Bank Holiday (UK)
• May 7: World Laughter Day
• May 8: No Socks Day
• May 12: Mother’s Day (US and most parts of the world)
• May 19: World Baking Day
• May 25: Global Africa Day
• May 27: Memorial Day (US)
• May 27: Spring Bank Holiday (UK)

May 2024 themes

• Mother’s Day: It’s time to celebrate mom and all the maternal figures in our lives.
• Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month: An official designation in the U.S. that honors Asian and Pacific Islanders who have contributed to America's history.
• Prom: The annual social event for high schoolers everywhere. 

May campaign examples and best practices

May will almost always make a retail marketer think of Mother’s Day, but there’s plenty more to build your campaigns around in late Spring than just Mom. From Teacher Appreciation Week to World Baking Day, May is full of opportunities for themed promotions.

❌ Don’t shy away from the tried-and-true Mother’s Day promotions like gift guides, discount codes, or gift bundles. But gift-givers usually plan ahead, so you may want to kick off your promotions before May begins.  

✅ Do think about the events and milestones that are important to your target customer. Every spring, high schoolers in the U.S. plan for prom and then graduation. May is a great time to tap into that youthful exuberance. 

Campaign example: Windsor taps TikTok star Pressley for #WindsorProm2023

Windsor knows its audience. As a women's wear brand specializing in formal dresses for weddings, prom, and other special occasions, their 2023 Prom campaign perfectly captured the youthful party vibe of high school’s biggest event.

Their site was awash in cotton candy shades of pink, purple, and blue. And they tapped popular TikTok personality Pressley (she’s got over 7 million followers!) to help them promote the brand.

Pressley was featured in branded emails, a prom photoshoot, and even did a few behind-the-scenes videos for TikTok to round out the campaign.

The combination of Pressley’s star power and Windsor’s whimsical branding made the perfect date for Prom 2023.

Campaign example: FitVine wines gets real for Mother’s Day 2022

FitVine touted itself as the “mother of all wine” with a 15% off discount in honor of mom. The campaign fit the brand’s quirky personality by inviting customers to forget flowers and skip the BS.

By keeping this campaign simple with a moderate discount, FitVine offered an alternative to the typical Mother’s Day gifts in a way that introduced its brand of low-sugar wines to more women. 

June 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

June 2024 holidays and events

It’s summertime and the livin’s easy. Marketing, on the other hand, might be a little tougher. With everyone on vacation and spending time outdoors, it can be tough to drive sales. But a few strategic ties to summer events should help you turn up the heat.

• June 1: Global Parents Day
• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 11: Global Wellness Day
• June 14: Flag Day (US)
• June 16: Father’s Day
• June 19: Juneteenth (US)
• June 20: First Day of Summer
• June 21: National Selfie Day (US)
• June 21: World Day of Music
• June 29: Tour de France begins (date subject to change)
• June 30: Social Media Day

June 2024 themes

• Father’s Day: Time to celebrate dad and other male role models.
• Summer: A time to showcase new styles or promote products perfect for warm summer months.
• Pride Month: A chance for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate their full identities. 

June campaign examples and best practices

Summer is usually a slower time in e-commerce, so it’s a great time to build unexpected excitement with promotions, product launches, and even summer-themed sales. 

❌ Don’t resign yourself to slow sales in June. Look at the calendar and choose a holiday that fits your brand and create a moment around it.  

✅ Do remember to match the tone of the event. Pride campaigns are a great opportunity for celebratory messaging and bold, bright colors. But keep Juneteenth messaging focused on the commemorative aspects of the holiday. 

Campaign example: The Pro’s Closet wins the Tour de France marketing race

If you sell professional bicycles, there’s only one sporting event worth mentioning: the Tour de France. But high-quality bikes are pretty pricey. The Pro’s Closet sells both new and used bikes, including the bikes used by each day’s stage winners. 

Their email campaign was fun for self-proclaimed bike geeks and curious shoppers, who got a glimpse of the bikes that retail for $5,000 to $10,000 and up.

Campaign example: Heatonist brings the heat for Father’s Day

Heatonist is the brand behind Hot Ones, a popular YouTube series where the host interviews celebrities while they taste test some of the spiciest hot sauces available. As the celebs try to keep their cool, the sauces get progressively hotter.

The show’s unique premise and accidental humor has made it a big hit, particularly with Heatonist’s core male audience. So it only makes sense that the brand’s Father’s Day campaign referenced its tie to Hot Ones.

With copy that helped Heatonist distance itself from more traditional (read: boring) gifts for Dad, their campaign proved simple marketing can still be effective.

July 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

July 2024 holidays and events

July is a great time to revisit anything that will help your customers beat the heat: ice cream, swimming, staying inside with the A/C. 

• July 1: Canada Day
• July 1: Wimbledon Tennis Championship starts (date subject to change)
• July 2: Made in the USA Day
• July 4: Independence Day (US)
• July 7: World Chocolate Day
• Mid-July: Amazon Prime Day* (exact date varies)
• July 17: World Emoji Day
• July 26: Paris Summer Olympics starts (date subject to change)
• July 30: International Day of Friendship

July 2024 themes

• Patriotism: Celebrate the Summer Olympics, 4th of July, and Canada Day
• Grilling Season: Fall has pumpkin spice; summer is for barbecue.
• *Prime Day: Amazon usually schedules Prime Day for July. Emphasis on usually. Adjust your calendar accordingly.

July campaign examples and best practices

July can be a good time to start gearing up for fall and the sales that will round out your year in Q4, but don’t overlook the myriad ways you can drive revenue with patriotic, summer fun. And if Amazon schedules Prime Day in July again this year, you can catch their drift and cruise into fall with higher revenue.

❌ Don’t skip the traditional Independence Day sales. Remember, the point of a retail marketing calendar is to fill in the gaps left by existing sales and holidays. Find one more date on the calendar to fit in a promotion.  

✅ Do consider a special coupon code or additional discount for loyal customers. The slower pace of summer makes it a great time to reward your biggest fans for sticking around. 

Campaign example: Bombas offers 4 times the patriotism

Bombas sells some freaking amazing socks, but all that luxury comes at a premium price. So for the 4th of July, they highlighted their 4-packs. 

Socks in the summer? We see what you did there, Bombas.

Campaign example: Plochman’s proclaims the start of Grilling Season

Don’t have a holiday to celebrate? Make one up. That’s what Plochman’s did for its summer campaign. 

It’s a fun way to drum up a little excitement for a basic food product like mustard. Because you can’t have a cookout with condiments.  

August 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

August 2024 holidays and events

August often gets saddled with the moniker “Dog Days of Summer.” Perhaps that’s because National Dog Day happens on August 26. Or maybe it’s just because people are wrapping up their summers in preparation for the fall. Whatever it is, these dates may deserve a spot on your retail calendar for 2024.

• August 8: International Cat Day
• August 9: National Book Lovers’ Day (US)
• August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
• August 19: World Humanitarian Day
• August 21: National Senior Citizens’ Day (US)
• August 26: Women’s Equality Day (US)
• August 26: National Dog Day (US)
• August 26: Summer Bank Holiday (UK)
• August 31: World Distance Learning Day / Blog Day

August 2024 themes

• Black Business Month: An opportunity to highlight black-owned businesses or your own company’s owners.
• Back to School Season: A big revenue builder for brands with products for school-aged children.
• Black Friday Prep: Now’s the time to really kick off BFCM prep if you haven’t already. 

August campaign examples and best practices

August is almost always associated with back-to-school prep, but it’s also a good time to start thinking about your BCFM campaigns (if you’re not already deep into them).  

❌ Don’t let Q4 get away from you. Many brands choose to use late summer to preview their BFCM deals. If you’re not already tied to holidays or events in August, this might be a great fit for your brand.   

✅ Do consider that school districts start at different times throughout August and through Labor Day. For that reason, you might want to kick off your BTS campaign in late July. That frees up your August for some fun promo.

Campaign example: Cat Person proves every day is International Cat Day

Cat Person proves they’re all-in on feline friends with its email for International Cat Day. Instead of offering a simple discount or promotional sale, they stick to what their customers love best: cats. 

Their email includes lesser-known cat facts, proving that promotional emails don’t need a huge discount to resonate with customers. Sometimes just a brand shares your interests can help build brand loyalty.

Campaign example: Simple Modern goes back to school in style

Simple Modern is known for its highly durable drinkware that keeps beverages hot or cold for hours, and back-to-school is one of their peak seasons. In fact, their marketing focuses heavily on moms with school-aged children. 

Peep that TikTok-famous design, now kid sized! What a great way to tap into the culture zeitgeist and hit your target demographic at the same time.

September 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

September 2024 holidays and events

September rolls in alongside the scent of pumpkin spice everything. If you’re not ready for it, you could be left in the cinnamon-and-clove-scented dust. Time to add some dates to the calendar.

• September 2: Labor Day (US)
• September 5: International Day of Charity
• September 8: Grandparents Day (US)
• September 8: International Literacy Date 
• September 11: Patriot Day (US)
• September 13 International Chocolate Day
• September 21: International Day of Peace
• September 21: Oktoberfest begins in Munich, Germany
• September 22: First Day of Fall
• September 27: World Tourism Day
• September 30: International Podcast Day

September 2024 themes

• Pumpkin Spice Season: Starbucks usually brings back the PSL in September; it’s a great time to tag along.
• Fall Gifts: A point in the year where you can start teasing your holiday sales.
• Black Friday Prep: You’ve got everything ready to go for BFCM, right? Right?

September campaign examples and best practices

As we head into the pre-holiday season, customers are already starting to look for deals. It’s a great time to start teasing what you have planned and reduce inventory to prepare for holiday stock.  

❌ Don’t skip over fall holidays in favor of Christmas or New Year’s. Customers are weary of the jingle bells starting earlier each year. Stand out by holding off on the holiday cheer a little longer.  

✅ Do start building some excitement by announcing major product releases or holiday deals. Take a cue from Apple’s iPhone playbook and release that must-have holiday gift now ahead of the season.

Campaign example: Brewbike spices up fall Pumpkin Spice Brew

Brewbike started as a coffee cart on college campuses — in some ways it still is. But they understand the power of pumpkin spice and announced their PSB (pumpkin spice brew) ahead of its seasonal launch.

The email works because it both taps into Starbucks’ iconic product and pokes a little fun at it. “Sorry Starbs.” 

Campaign example: LiveTrends rethinks host gifts with fall promo

LiveTrends will have you rethinking the host gift game just like they turned plants into an essential for modern chic decor. 

In a fall email, they make a case for their trendy, verdant plants as host gifts for your fall gatherings. Well-played, LiveTrends. Well-played. 

October 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

October 2024 holidays and events

Are you feeling spooky yet? Former goths have been planning for October 2024 since … well, forever, but you can get started now planning for Halloween campaigns. October is also home to International Coffee Day, so you can always cozy up with a cuppa instead. 

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

• October 1: International Coffee Day
• October 4: World Animal Day 
• October 5: World Teachers’ Day
• October 10: World Mental Health Day
• October 14: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day (US)
• October 14: Canadian Thanksgiving
• October 16: World Food Day
• October 19: Sweetest Day (US)
• October 25: World Pasta Day 
• October 31: Halloween
• October 31: Diwali

October 2024 themes

• Spooky Season: A chance to celebrate all things Halloween, this term has become synonymous with the holiday.
• Breast Cancer Awareness: The official designation for October, usually marked by pink ribbons and donations to cancer research.
• Black Friday Prep: Seriously, you’d better be ready for BFCM. It’s next month!

October campaign examples and best practices

October clearly centers on spooky season, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck drowning in bats, ghosts, and pumpkins. Look for ways to highlight other holidays too. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month, which can be a good time to show commitment to your company’s causes. 

❌ Don’t just slap pink ribbons on everything and call it a day. Historically, brands have received criticism for their lip service to breast cancer research. If you're going to do something to honor this occasion, make a concerted effort to do something that will really make an impact.

✅ Do highlight causes your brand really cares about. If you donate to cancer research, great! But don’t force it. There are plenty other things you can celebrate in October. Like Halloween. 👻 

Campaign example: Zenni gives Halloween a glow up

Zenni Optical re-envisioned how we shop for eyewear and their 2023 Halloween campaign turned the tables again with glow-in-the-dark frames.

The bold contrast and neon colors really stand out on Facebook and Instagram, and the idea of wearing glow-in-the-dark glasses to a Halloween party just feels right. 

Campaign example: Cupshe launches a pre-Black Friday sale

There’s no limit on how often you can tease your Black Friday sales and no rule that says  you have to run your biggest sale on BFCM. Cupshe decided October 2023 was a great time to offer 65% swimwear. 

This ad proves there’s no wrong way to find your Four Peaks. And it’s refreshing in the sea of pumpkin spice on your Facebook feed.

November 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

November 2024 holidays and events

November marks the clear start to the holiday season, and thanks to BFCM and its surrounding events, the main peak season for retailers everywhere. Here are a few dates to take note of in November 2024:

• November 1: World Vegan Day
• November 7: Election Day (US)
• November 11: Veterans Day (US) / Remembrance Day (UK/Australia/Canada)
• November 13 World Kindness Day
• November 28: Thanksgiving Day (US) 
• November 29: Black Friday (US) 
• November 30: Small Business Saturday (US)
• December 2: Cyber Monday (US) 
• December 3: Giving Tuesday (US) 

November 2024 themes

• Thanksgiving Gratitude: Show appreciation to your customers and express gratitude for their support.
• Early Holiday Shopping: Encourage customers to start their holiday shopping early and offer special promotions.
• Black Friday Countdown: Build excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
• Fall Fashion: Highlight fall fashion trends and products for the season.
• Giving Back: Promote charitable initiatives and encourage customers to give back during the holiday season.
• Family and Friends: Emphasize the importance of spending time with loved ones during the holiday season.
• Holiday Decorations: Showcase festive decorations and decor ideas for the upcoming holidays.
• Thanksgiving Feast: Share recipes, cooking tips, and holiday meal ideas for Thanksgiving.
• Small Business Saturday: Get ready for Small Business Saturday and support local businesses.
• Cyber Monday Prep: Prepare customers for Cyber Monday deals and discounts.

Remember that these themes can be tailored to your specific industry and target audience for effective marketing campaigns in November 2024.

November campaign examples and best practices

By November most marketing campaigns are strictly about the holiday season, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Recently, brands have been using pre-Black Friday sales to get a jump on all the promotions going on during the week after Thanksgiving. 

❌ Don’t limit yourself to one day of sales. Look for ways to spread the savings out over the entire month or launch your must-have holiday finds. 

✅ Do make sure your inventory is in hand for BFCM deals. It’s one thing to create excitement by limiting quantities, but you don’t want to leave revenue on the table because you didn’t plan well. If you’ve successfully executed your Four Peaks Strategy, you should have no trouble funding your end-of-year promotions.  

Campaign example: B2G1 pre-Black Friday sale is the Mane event

Mane understands the power of an early Black Friday deal, but hair care isn’t a top category for BFCM deals.  

With electronics dominating Black Friday, Mane is able to carve out a space for their brand with a sale earlier in the year. 

Campaign example: Teepublic extends Cyber Monday into Tuesday

Teepublic knows quirky tees make great gifts. They also know how to get the most out of their Cyber Monday sale: run it for more than one day. 

By extending a sale by just 12 hours, Teepublic has even more opportunity to crush their sales goals — and stand out from the competition. 

December 2024 key retail and ecommerce dates

December 2024 holidays and events

Is there anything we can say about December sales that you, a professional retailer, don’t already know? Probably not, but there are a few key dates in December 2024 that you may have missed.

• December 1: World AIDS Day
• December 9: Green Monday
• December 14: National Free Shipping Day (US)
• December 21: Super Saturday
• December 21: First Day of Winter
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 25: Hanukkah Begins
• December 26: Boxing Day (UK, Canada, and other countries)
• December 26: Kwanzaa begins
• December 31: New Year’s Eve

December 2024 themes

• Snow: Even though many areas of the world don’t experience snow, it’s still synonymous with Christmas. 
• Gifts: A chance to go all out and highlight any products that make great gifts. 
• End of Year: A time to thank customers for their loyalty and give company updates.

December campaign examples and best practices

As the year draws to a close, most retailers are focused on the holidays, but that’s not your only option in December. Many brands focus on their customers by thanking them for a year of support. Others look to what’s coming in the New Year. There are a million ways to make December special for your audience. 

❌ Don’t stop at holiday gift guides. Think outside the gift box and consider the self-care shoppers may be looking for while they also give to others. Bonus gift cards and free gifts with purchase can drive point-of-sale buys.  

✅ Do be sure to thank your marketing team. You’ve spent the year knocking this retail marketing strategy out of the park, and it’s time to celebrate a job well-done. 

Campaign example: Better Brand reminisces on the end of a magical year

As a fledgling company, Better Brand wrapped up 2022 by thanking customers for their loyalty. 

A message from the company’s founder helped move the focus from the products to the people who make the brand possible. For a growing company, this kind of personable approach can help build likelong fans.

Campaign example: Gussi kicks of their 2023 resolutions early

Hair care brand Gussi started its New Year campaign early with an email advising customers how to get healthier hair in the next year.  

This email campaign really stands out because it thanks customers and gives them something in return. Plus, it frees up the marketing team to take a few days off around the holidays without having to schedule a New Year’s campaign.

💌Want help growing your email and SMS lists? Check out our List Building Tool. 

Start planning your 2024 retail calendar campaigns today

Before you start planning for 2024, get a headstart with a free ConvertFlow account. You’ll create customized landing pages, popups, sticky bars, site messages, and all the other campaigns you’ll need to market your holiday ideas.

📅 Get the retail marketing calendar, and get more mileage out of your sales throughout the year with ConvertFlow’s suite of features for e-commerce:

• Popups
• Sticky bars
• Forms
• Surveys
• Quizzes