Check out the important 2022 dates for online retailers

E-commerce sales now account for more than a quarter of all retail sales in the UK, so what are the key shopping dates are there to note for 2022 so you don’t miss out on valuable opportunities to promote your products?

January Sales – New year, new deals…

With the pandemic continuing to loom in 2021, the online shopping trend is expected to continue this year. At Kelkoo Group, we saw an increase of 29% in online shopping for the 2021 Winter Sales compared to 2020 (Kelkoo Group internal data). The end of the year no longer  marks the end of shopping, as New Year brings the Winter Sales. January is the second largest peak of the year after the festive season so keep your foot on the gas during the January spend!

14 Feb: Valentine’s Day – Love deals?

In recent years Valentine’s Day has expanded to include other celebrations of love, including Galantine’s day. With almost everyone spreading the love in February, it’s the perfect time to match-make your deals with consumers.

27 March & 19 June: Mother’s Day & Father’s Day

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day bring shows of appreciation for their parents everywhere. With so much time spent apart due to the ongoing pandemic, consumers are using personal gifts to make up for some of the missed time together. We saw a 14% increase in shopping searches during Mother’s Day and 13% on Father’s Day weeks in 2021, compared to 2020, which was already higher than 2019 (KelkooGroup internal data). With ever uncertainty in the wake of new variants, home and garden improvements, at home self-care, and sports equipment are likely to remain popular presents for our parents. Check out last year’s article on Mother’s Day for some tips on how to get ready for this event.

17 Apr: Easter – An eggstrodinary opportunity for profit… 

Easter signals the rise of chocolate gifts, and with millions of eggs being sold globally, it’s an ideal time to refresh your website. Crafts and spring décor are also springing off the shelves, and with the warmer weather just round the corner, garden furniture and summer clothing are on the radar. The month of Ramadan also falls around Easter, so take advantage of the consumer appetite to buy gifts and food.

July and August: Summer holidays and back to school

Incoming: hot weather and hot sales! As the sun comes out, garden and beach supplies are in demand, as well as summer clothing. By the end of August, stationary is back in trend as families prepare for back to school. With the move to more online schooling since the pandemic, electronic gadgets have become a staple in the return to education. Our article on the “Back to School” period will help you better understand how to optimise your online marketplace.

24 Nov: Diwali

The Festival of Lights presents another peak shopping period to advertise your discounts. Don’t limit your sales to just lights and food, as gift giving is a fundamental part of the celebration.

31 Nov: Halloween – Scarily good deals incoming…

Halloween spending is growing year on year, as people invest in costumes, extravagant décor, and hoards of goodies, so don’t get a fright this year and miss out! Why not put together a Halloween gift guide tailored to your shop, or offer some frightfully good discounts? You’ll find more tips on how to make the most out of it on our last blog post on Halloween.

The Festive season

The end-of-the-year shopping peak is beginning earlier and earlier each year. From Singles Day on November 11^th, which is a rapidly expanding holiday worldwide, e-commerce sales skyrocket and stay consistently high all the way through to the New Year sales. But of course, this period is led by the most famous and ever-growing following shopping days:

25 & 28 Nov: Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend are arguably the biggest for shopping in the calendar year, as people begin to stock up on presents, decorations and reduced products. The single Black Friday date (on 25^th November this year), has now expanded and deals tend to run the entire week. 2021 Black Friday saw another drop in foot traffic in physical shops, coupled with a rise in online purchases, so don’t miss out on huge quantities of traffic to your online shop.

25 Dec: Christmas Day – Santa’s sales

Shopping for the ‘big day’ begins well before the main event, kicked off by the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. Many deals remain after Black Friday, so consider sending out some more Christmas themed emails in order to promote the fantastic offers on your store.

26 Dec: Boxing Day Sales – Wrapping up Christmas

The end of Christmas is marked by the Boxing Day Sales, most prominent in the UK. Boxing Day spending online has overtaken in-store shopping, with more money spent online. So before the festive season begins, ensure your website is running correctly and fully optimised in order to cope with increased traffic.

Kelkoo Group can help you maximise the potential of ever-more popular annual holidays.  Find out more about our solutions that can help you generate incremental sales on your online store. Contact us to get started and plan your 2022 Shopping advertising campaigns !