Sales Calendar 2024 | Key Dates To Boost Your Businesses
By Sam Nguyen
In this article, our 2023 sales calendar will help you keep track of all the holidays and events for the year, allowing you to plan and make the most of them. Download the calendar, and you’ll never have to worry about missing an upcoming event again.
Key Takeaways
- A sales calendar helps businesses to have a clear overview of important events and holidays that can be leveraged for marketing campaigns. It allows you to plan and avoid missing out on critical opportunities.
- Merchants can develop tailored marketing strategies, create special promotions, and optimize their product offerings to maximize sales during these special periods.
Definition of Sales Calendar
A sales calendar is a valuable tool for businesses, as it provides a comprehensive overview of all sales events for the entire year. This allows companies to plan and take advantage of every opportunity to maximize their sales. By keeping track of upcoming events and proactively preparing for them, businesses can make the most out of each sales event and achieve tremendous success.
Key Sales Calendar In 2023
We have compiled a list of all the sales events and holidays you can add to your calendar. You can check them out in the list below, month by month.
01. January
- Jan 01: New Year Day
- Jan 15: National Bagel Day
- Jan 24: National Peanut Butter Day
- Jan 27: National Chocolate Cake Day
- Jan 31: National Hot Chocolate Day
- National Staying Healthy Month
People are more likely to spend more on food, sports, and clothing during the first month of the year as they create and stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Having special bundles or free shipping could be the “cherry on top” because they are finally making the purchase.
02. February
- Feb 01: Lunar New Year
- Feb 09: National Pizza Day
- Feb 13: Super Bowl Sunday
- Feb 14: Valentine’s Day
- Feb 15: Singles Awareness Day
- Feb 20: Love Your Pet Day
- Feb 21: Presidents’ Day (U.S.)
- Black History Month
Valentine’s Day is a holiday that sees significant spending worldwide. Almost any business can create a custom marketing plan for their store to prepare for this occasion.
03. March
- Pancake Day (Mar 01)
- International Women’s Day (Mar 08)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Mar 17)
- International Day of Happiness (Mar 20)
- First Day of Spring (Mar 20)
- World Puppy Day (Mar 23)
Spring has arrived, bringing brighter, more beautiful, and lively surroundings. The change in season also changes mood, as people feel happier and more positive. This can make it easier for them to make decisions, which your business can take advantage of by targeting your marketing efforts accordingly.
St. Patrick’s Day is known for its signature green theme, so if you’re planning a campaign for this occasion, incorporate this color into your branding to capture the festive vibe.
04. April
- April 01: April Fools’ Day
- Apr 11: National Pet Day
- Apr 22: Earth Day
- Apr 23: World Book Day
- Apr 28: National Superhero Day
Earth Day is growing in importance and impact every year. One way to show your support for the environment is to create a campaign where your business donates a portion of its sales to environmental organizations.
This can be a powerful and meaningful gesture as more and more people choose to support brands that align with their values rather than just buying products for their own sake.
05. May
- May 07: National Fitness Day
- May 08: Mother’s Day
- May 17: World Baking Day
- May 25: National Wine Day
Mother’s Day is a significant spending holiday in the U.S., second only to Christmas. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the fantastic moms out there while boosting your sales.
Consider offering gift-wrapping options gift cards, or creating special bundles to appeal to your customers. These tactics can work well for almost any type of business.
06. June
- June 01: International Children’s Day
- June 04: National Cheese Day
- June 19: Father’s Day
- June 21 International Yoga Day
International Children’s Day might seem like a low-spending occasion initially, but with grand plans and excellent tactics, you will surely benefit from this holiday. Why not target parents with your sales campaigns or appeal to the inner child in all of us?
Everyone deserves a treat from time to time, so make sure to communicate this idea to your customers. You might be surprised at the positive impact it can have on your sales
07. July
- Jul 04: Independence Day (US)
- Jul 07: World Chocolate Day
- Jul 11-12 (estimated): Amazon Prime Day
- Jul 30: International Friendship Day
July is the perfect time for summer adventures, spending time with friends, and focusing on self-care. Businesses can take advantage of this by creating a marketing plan that targets these activities and encourages customers to treat themselves.
By aligning your sales campaigns with the season, you can increase your sales and connect with your customers meaningfully.
08: August
- Aug 08: International Cat Day
- Aug 09: Book Lovers Day
- Aug 19: World Photography Day
- Aug 26: International Dog
- Day Back-to-school season
This month has several occasions happening, so make sure you own Marketing 101 for the holiday season and confidently smash those business goals. Here are some tips for creating a back-to-school marketing plan:
- Start your back-to-school campaign on time.
- Offer discounts and price incentives along each touchpoint.
- Combine categories and offer complementary products to boost the convenience factor for parents.
- Focus on the back-to-school products or niches that drive the most conversions.
09. September
- Sep 05: Labor Day
- Sep 10: Mid-Autumn Festival
- Sep 11: Grandparents’ Day
- Sep 17: First Day of Oktoberfest
- Sep 27: World Tourism Day
You can use many effective tactics to boost sales for your online store during the holiday season. Some of these include creating unique landing pages, offering bundled deals, and providing discounts.
While building landing pages can seem daunting, Shopify’s PageFly app makes it easy to create high-converting pages with beautiful templates and practical elements. This encourages customers to make purchases and return for more. You can visit their official website to learn more about PageFly’s features and pricing.
10. October
- Oct 01: International Coffee Day
- Oct 04: World Animal Day
- Oct 29: National Cat Day
- Oct 31: Halloween
The spooky season calls for a creative and eerie marketing campaign. Embrace the theme and give your store a hauntingly delightful look that will send shivers down your customers’ spines.
11. November
- Nov 11: Singles’ Day
- Nov 13: World Kindness Day
- Nov 19: International Men’s Day
- Nov 21: FIFA World Cup Begins
- Nov 24: Thanksgiving (US)
- Nov 25: Black Friday
- Nov 26: Small Business Saturday
- Nov 28: Cyber Monday
There’s no denying that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are among the most significant spending events of the year. It’s an opportunity that no business should miss, as customers are eager to take advantage of the deals and discounts on offer.
For online store owners, landing pages are a powerful tool to leverage increased traffic and drive sales. A well-designed, high-converting landing page can help you generate significant sales in just a few days, potentially even matching your monthly sales figures. It’s a great way to take advantage of the opportunities the online marketplace presents.
12. December
- Dec 03: Make A Gift Day
- Dec 13: Green Monday
- Dec 14: National Free Shipping Day (US)
- Dec 17: Super Saturday
- Dec 24: Christmas Eve
- Dec 25: Christmas Day
- Dec 26: Boxing Day
- Dec 31: New Year’s Eve
Christmas is the time for family and friends, so people will be more likely to purchase a gift for their loved ones. Having a clear plan and efficient tactics can be the key for businesses to a winning season. You can check out all the marketing ideas for your Shopify store this Christmas on their official website.
How to create a sales calendar
To create a sales calendar, follow these instructed steps:
Identify milestones:
Start by brainstorming and listing all the important events and promotions. Create a spreadsheet with the milestone names and dates. While focusing on major annual events that generate significant revenue is crucial, considering all milestones ensures you have sufficient resources and time to plan for each.
Establish priorities:
Once you have the list, determine the priorities for each milestone. Use the same spreadsheet to include projected revenue for each event. Arrange them from highest to lowest earnings to identify the key events contributing most to your company’s revenue. This will help you allocate additional planning efforts to those top three to five events.
Incorporate milestones into a calendar:
Add each milestone to a calendar to visualize the sales events throughout the quarters and months. You can use an annual calendar or create a fiscal-year calendar if your financial year starts later than January. A visual representation can be a great way to keep track of upcoming events. Having a clear and organized display of what’s to come makes it easier to plan and prepare for the future. Alternatively, you can use an organized spreadsheet if you only need the information without a visual display.
Assign roles and responsibilities:
Based on the time gaps between each event, assign team members and their responsibilities accordingly. Designate a sales manager for each event to oversee marketing efforts and determine the necessary tools to maximize revenue. Have each manager develop a project plan outlining the steps leading up to the event and how they plan to manage regular business operations.
Evaluate financial impact:
By organizing your planned sales events and their requirements, assess the financial goals associated with them. Compare the expenses incurred for these events with the expected revenue they will generate.
This analysis may influence your priority list, so it is essential to review it during the planning stage. Consider the percentage of your total revenue goals that these events are expected to contribute, giving you an idea of the sales targets you must meet throughout the year.
Share the calendar with your team:
Once you have finalized your sales calendar, share it with your sales teams. If you work in an office, make physical copies available in a common area for each month and year.
Additionally, provide a spreadsheet version that includes details like assignments, revenue targets, and required tools. While you may have more detailed calendars or plans for each event, including everything in the sales calendar ensures that each team can adequately prepare for their responsibilities.
The Importance of Sales Calendar
A sales calendar can help businesses set goals, plan, gather resources, and hire staff. This proactive planning can help managers effectively manage time and resources. Here are some other reasons to consider using a sales calendar:
- Visual aid for planning: A completed sales calendar allows employees to view a hierarchical list of events, timelines, and duties. This visual tool can help staff understand what’s essential for each event and why. Portions of the sales calendar can also be distributed during an event as a reference guide for upcoming tasks.
- Increased focus on specific events: Some sales events are more critical than others due to their potential to attract more business and generate more revenue. A sales calendar allows you to highlight these events and direct the appropriate amount of attention towards them.
- Proper resource allocation: A sales calendar helps you understand which events require which resources and how much should be allocated. This proactive resource allocation also helps with planning, such as identifying how many staff members are needed, whether temporary staff should be hired, whether business hours should be expanded, and how the retail space should be organized.
- Goal outlining: Sales calendars help outline goals and objectives for the year. By creating a sales calendar in advance, you can effectively set revenue goals and identify the tasks needed to meet those goals.
- Organization: A sales calendar can keep your business organized when planning and preparing for sales events. It also helps staff members understand what is expected of them, what schedules and workloads to anticipate, and what steps they need to take to prepare for these events.
Bottom line
With this sales calendar in 2023, you can consider implementing tactics like creating custom landing pages, collections, or special deals specific to these events. These strategies can effectively increase sales and maximize profits for your store.
