Important ecommerce shopping dates for 2021
Online retail kicked into a higher gear in 2020 with the pandemic’s forced closure of bricks-and-mortar stores. Now in 2021 we have more retailers than ever trading online. Months of lockdown forced more consumers online and with the pandemic still very much present, online sales will continue to dominate. We highlight some of the key retail dates to make the most of selling online in 2021.
14 February - Valentine’s Day
The first real big retail opportunity of the year. It’s not just about chocolate and flowers. Due to current restrictions couples will be staying home this year, so there is a real opportunity to be creative in making their day as romantic as possible. See what romantic items you have that you could promote with homepage banners, social and email marketing.
25 February - Ireland Reads
Ireland Reads is new national campaign to encourage as many people to discover the joy of reading. Part of the government-backed Keep Well initiative, it's aim is to help mental wellbeing. An ideal event for booksellers to participate in. Start informing your customers about this new national date. It'll also be a great way to gain some new customers by encouraging them to 'squeeze in a read'.
14 March - Mother’s Day
As this date changes every year, it’s a good idea to start marketing it earlier to notify and remind people. Email marketing is a great way to start the ball rolling with an offer of an exclusive deal.
8 March - International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. If this occasion is important to your business and brands, you shouldn’t miss making your customers feel empowered and valued. Create a new dedicated landing page with a special Women’s Day collection. Drive traffic to your online store through inspiring social campaigns.
17 March - St Patrick’s Day
All things green and Irish are at the forefront for this celebration. However, with ever changing lockdown restrictions, there is a definite opportunity for all Irish retailers to ask people to shop local and Irish to help support their local community and the economy this year.
4 April - Easter
While big business for the confectionery sector, Easter time is also an opportunity to embrace the seasonal change. Step into Spring with a seasonal pastel palette for your homepage banners. For any store selling Easter eggs and confectionery, there is ample opportunity to upsell all kinds of sweet treats.
May - July - Wedding Season
Many couples had to postpone their 2020 wedding plans to 2021 favouring the warmer months to still have their celebration. Create a wedding gift guide page on your online store, that you can use as a dedicated landing page for email and social marketing. Depending on your business you can target both the couple getting married or potential guests who will be buying gifts.
3 May - May Day
A welcomed opportunity to promote your business by running May Bank Holiday weekend long special deals. Offer free shipping or a discount code.
7 June - Bank holiday
Get BBQ and outdoor living ready. Create excitement for summer through a strategic email marketing campaign with social to compliment.
20 June - Father’s Day
This is a great day to attract new customers especially if you specialise in particular hobbies or interests that are popular with men. Run targeted campaigns with a few products, perhaps offering a discount code with an expiry date to create a sense of urgency. Don’t forget to be clear about your last shipping date.
2 August - August Bank Holiday (Ireland)
As the summer draws to a close, it’s a chance to promote the last of summer-themed items.
Late August - Early September - Back to School
Most people start preparing for back to school around 3 weeks before school starts. Offer promotions that will attract both parents and students.
25 October - Bank Holiday (Ireland)
A bank holiday in Ireland that falls around the midterm breaks in schools. Target your campaigns towards family entertainment with offers like BOGOF.
31 October - Halloween
A big event in Ireland, so even if your business doesn’t sell Halloween costumes, you can still create a halloween themed homepage banner and social. Halloween is a super event to gain some user-generated content. Whether sharing pumpkin recipe ideas, scariest costume or autumnal displays there is a feast of content that can be driven by you and your audience.
25 November - Thanksgiving
One to consider if you get traffic from the United States. Be clear of your delivery and shipping options and use them to encourage those sales.
26 November - Black Friday
The biggest weekend in the ecommerce calendar. Make sure to have your campaigns planned well in advance as competition is fierce. Get a head-start with some tips from Peter Carter in our podcast episode Facebook marketing tips for your Shopify store.
30 November - Cyber Monday
The biggest online spending day after Black Friday. Create a Cyber Monday landing page with your top deals. Offer free shipping over a particular amount will encourage consumers to buy more.
December - Christmas
Start your Christmas campaigns in November. Be clear on your shipping and delivery, as well as your exchange and refund policy. Create new Christmas landing pages of different gift guides that you can run targeted campaigns to. Combine Christmas themed banners and PPC campaigns with clear CTAs, as the competition is high.
Social Media Holiday dates
Having an ecommerce store also offers the opportunity for retailers to celebrate some of the social media holidays that are out there. Not all dates will be suitable for your brand. But it is worth keeping an eye on them for an opportunity to build more brand awareness. Below are a select few alternative dates. Be sure to check you are using the correct hashtag.
- 16 February - Pancake Tuesday
- 20 February - Love your Pet Day
- 6 March - National Dress Day
- 21 March - Fragrance Day
- 1 April - April Fool’s Day
- 7 April - World Health Day
- 10 April - Siblings Day
- 22 April - Earth Day
- 23 April - World Book Day
- 4 May - Star Wars Day
- 1 June - Pride Month Begins
- 7 July - World Chocolate Day
- 18 July - Ice cream Day
- 8 August - International Cat Day
- 21 August - World Honey Bee Day
- 26 August - International Dog Day
- 29 Sept - International Coffee Day
- 10 October - World Mental Health Day
- 1 November - World Vegan Day
- 4 December - International Cookie Day
