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Just because it isn’t December doesn’t mean the holiday season hasn’t arrived! It’s the ‘falliday’ season, with plenty of holidays in September, October, and early November to give you some pre-peak season practice! These days give you the perfect opportunity to test out some holiday marketing initiatives, new platforms, and additional services before the holiday rush, as well as the chance to clear out warehouse space and move slower inventory as you stock your shelves with the hottest-selling holiday merchandise. So let’s look at a few fallidays you can’t afford to ignore.

Labor Day

It wouldn’t be right not to start with the ultimate end to the summer holiday – Labor Day. Celebrated on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is a national holiday that you should take advantage of as an online retailer. Although it already coincides with many areas’ back-to-school season, numbers indicate that retailers who have upped their promotional activities during this holiday have seen excellent returns! You don’t have to reinvent the marketing wheel for Labor Day – some attractive discounts, promoted socially and through email marketing, have worked wonders for retailers. This is precisely what some of the largest apparel retailers did last Labor Day:

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Halloween

More than 158 million people will celebrate Halloween this year, up from last year’s numbers. A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation for the 2013 season of Halloween sheds light on consumer spending patterns. Candies, costumes, and decorations will be BIG this season. The same goes for party venues and food and clothes. Twenty percent of retail sales of the entire year happen during this season. When do you start? According to NRF, 40 percent of shoppers begin their holiday shopping before Halloween. Now, if that’s true, an early start is recommended. Statista.com published a survey result for the year 2013; check it out:

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According to a press release by Experian, 49 percent of marketers will launch a holiday campaign before Halloween. This early start will ensure they gain enough leverage and consumer attention to increasing their sales during the coming holiday season.

Some other hot fallidays to consider:

  • Patriot Day (9/11) – Red, white, and blue, everything!
  • Columbus Day (10/13) – Tell your customers to ‘discover’ new savings via a contest or promotion.
  • Sweetest Day (10/18) – The fall version of Valentine’s Day is becoming ever more popular among millennials and GenZ, so peddle any romantic wares, such as jewelry, photo frames, or chocolates.
  • Veterans Day (11/11) – do you proudly manufacture in the USA? This is the day to shout it!
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