There are certain key dates around the year to be aware of, and to prepare for, as sellers. Lots of sellers already prepare for the Christmas period, however there are other dates that are worth thinking about as these could be relevant for your brand. See the dates we think sellers should think about below:
14th February, Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day is an easy one to remember, falling on the same date each year. No longer just a day to gift flowers and chocolates, Valentine’s has become a holiday for much more extensive gift-giving. This will be an important date to target for anyone selling giftable products, especially if you sell anything romantic.
There are several ways you can prepare to capitalise on Valentine’s Day. You can alter your listings to give them a more romantic appeal. The most effective way to do this is through changes to product images and listing copy. You may also want to set up PPC campaigns targeting key search terms relating to Valentine's day and your products.
27th March (UK) / 8th May (US), Mother’s Day
Mothers day has also become an increasingly important day for retailers. Increasingly people are showing their affection for their mothers through gift giving. People will give a wider range of presents than they may on more specific occasions such as Valentine's day so this will be an important day for many retailers.
As with Valentine’s day, it is worth taking the time to alter any appropriate listings to appeal to customers as Mother’s Day presents. The best way to do this is through altering the product images and listing copy. We also recommend setting up PPC campaigns targeting customers who are searching for Mother’s Day gifts.
20th June, Father’s Day
Father's Day falls on June 19th in 2022. Similar to Mother’s Day, many retailers will see an increase in traffic as customers look for gifts. As with other gifting holidays, we recommend altering listings and setting up PPC campaigns that target customers who are searching for Father’s Day presents.
June/July, Amazon Prime Day
Prime day is a very important day for sellers on Amazon as it surpassed $3.5 billion in sales in 2020. It is hard to predict the exact date for Amazon Prime Day. For years it was consistently occurring in mid-July but this has changed during the pandemic. In 2020 it occurred on the 13th-14th October and in 2021 it fell on 21st-22nd June.
If you plan on running sales over this period make sure they are prepared well in advance. It is also key that you have enough stock to take full advantage of the increase in traffic. You may also want to have PPC campaigns prepared to promote these sales and capture customers who are searching for prime day sales.
26th-29th November, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM)
For many retailers, Black Friday and Cyber Monday has become the most important eCommerce event of the year and this is no longer exclusive to the US.
On Amazon, it is a particularly big deal with sale events running from early November. Due to the importance of the BFCM period as well as the increase in competition, it is important to make sure you are prepared well in advance.
Stock has to be prepared and sent in to FBA well in advance. Amazon sets deadlines for when stock has to be received at fulfilment centres. In 2021 FBA inventory had to be received at the fulfilment centre by 5th of November at the latest.
If you plan to run product deals be sure to get them set up before the deadlines. In 2021 the cut-off for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weeks was October 8th and the deadline for submissions for Early Black Friday Deals was two weeks before the event start date.
If you are running PPC campaigns you will also need to make preparations. We have already written a guide on how to How to Prepare Your Amazon PPC Campaigns for Black Friday & Cyber Monday https://www.sitruna.com/post/amazon-guides-how-to-prepare-your-amazon-ppc-campaigns-for-black-friday-cyber-monday
1st - 25th December, Christmas
As soon as Black Friday sales end Christmas sales begin. While sales may peak over Black Friday itself retailers will likely see high sales numbers up until Christmas itself. Usually, sales will start to decline as pre-Christmas delivery can no longer be guaranteed. Generally, the last order day for Amazon is the 23rd for prime and the 20th for free standard delivery.
One of the most important ways to prepare for this period is to make sure you have enough stock available, especially if you are running Black Friday sales as well. You will also want to make sure you have PPC set up to take full advantage of the increased traffic seen over the Christmas period.
26th December, Boxing Day Sales
While not as important in some marketplaces, Boxing Day Sales still remain a big deal in the UK. Especially for customers who are looking to spend their Christmas money and gift cards. Boxing Day sales are a good opportunity to clear any excess stock that you have leftover from Christmas. We recommend launching discounts and sales to clear stock and generate extra revenue before the January slump.
Our team are always more than happy to help brands prepare for key sale dates. Chat to our team through the chat bot on our site, or by emailing sales@sitruna.com, to find out how we can help.
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