With 2022 wrapping to a close, it’s safe to say that the year has flown by. After the recovery of COVID-19 throughout 2020 and 2021, 2022 has been a year that has seen growth across many industries across the world. For Retailers and Marketers, the trusty Retail Calendar remains to be an important segway into planning the year and staying ahead of the game. Here’s Insil’s 2023 Retail Calendar, with all the key dates to keep a note of. Check out some interesting and inspiring Marketing ideas below, to help with your campaigns going into the new year.
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January: Start off Strong
Key calendar dates:
- 1st Jan: New Years’ Day: Extend the holiday festivities from December into the new year. The sale from the end of December will carry on so put that to good use!
- 22nd Jan: Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit): Engage with your Chinese audience on this auspicious day full of fun and frolic. This is a great opportunity to organise a Chinese New Year themed event with food, music and products.
- 26th Jan: Australia Day: Celebrate Australia’s birthday by doing something special for your customers. A traditional Aussie BBQ with sausage sizzles and hamburgers is a direct nod to the country’s culture and traditions.
Marketing example:
Retail industries of various kinds can utilise Australia day for their Marketing campaigns. Whether you’re in hospitality, retail or any other service area, add a national theme to your campaign to engage with the patriots of the country.
February: Showering of Love
Key calendar dates:
4th Feb: World Cancer day: Raise awareness for cancer patients and survivors with a heartfelt and empathetic charity event. Fundraising activities and charitable donations can be used here to contribute to the brave cancer patients in the world.
14th Feb: Valentine’s day: Celebrate the most romantic day of the year with creative ideas for gifts. Attract individuals and couples with tempting offers such as buy one-get one free, discounts and promos.
21st Feb: Pancake day: Running a cafe? Welcome your customers with some scrumptious pancakes to go along with their morning coffee. Pancake cooking classes and trivia can be utilised for more fun-filled engagement.
Marketing example:
Valentine’s day is a great opportunity to engage with your customers through the message of love. Utilise gift hampers, discounts and offers to keep customers happy and satisfied.
March: A Hint of Green
Key calendar dates:
- 8th March: International Women’s day: Implement something creative to celebrate all the powerful and inspiring women in our lives. If you specialise in women’s products, clothing or accessories, this is a great opportunity to highlight new merchandise and promos.
- 16th-19th: Afterpay day starts: Afterpay day 2023 kicks off on Thursday March 16h, offering Aussies upto 70% off top retailers online as well as in store. Things likely won’t be too different this year, so stay tuned for some exciting new deals coming up for customers. Utilise this period and make the most of it for your business. It’s a great way to bring more customers who use Afterpay for their purchases.
- 17th March: St. Patrick’s Day: Celebrate the traditional Irish festivity of St. Patrick’s day by adding a few shades of green to your media. Exclusive promos and discounts, subscription services or new products on the menu will bring in more customers on board with the 4 leaf clover!
- 19th March: Mother’s Day: Embrace the joy of mothers all around the world on this special day. Complimentary drinks for mothers’ groups, live music performances and exclusive menu and treatment for mothers and women is a great way to showcase how much you care for your customers.
Marketing example:
St. Patrick’s day on the retail calendar is a great opportunity for bars and restaurants. Offer a new pint of Irish beer, or a meal & drink combo for your customers to keep the tap flowing.
April: Easter eggs-citement
Key calendar dates:
- 1st April: April Fool’s day: Throw in a cheeky prank or two with your audience on social media. Any way to keep the engagement going online through a little trivia game, video or a post will keep the metrics up and running.
- 7th April: Good Friday: Kick off the Easter feeling with a Good Friday special appreciation post. With Easter coming up on the Sunday, this is a great opportunity to organise a weekend special deal to prepare for Easter.
- 9th April: Easter Sunday: Utilise the weekend for a fun-filled, family themed event for your customers. Whether it’s a brunch special Sunday, or an online click & collect/delivery care package. Incorporating aspects of Easter such as the Easter bunny, eggs and colours will keep it fun and light hearted. You can also use this time to squeeze in a quick 3-day discount for shoppers to enjoy.
- 21st April: National Tea Day: Host a high tea with some baked treats and a range of teas to bring in new customers. A great opportunity to sip on some brews and enjoy some delectable food to pair it with.
- 22nd April: Earth Day: Join the annual Earth day event to demonstrate support for environmental protection of our planet. This is a good opportunity to have a meat-free special menu or item, Earth day merchandise and trivia.
- 25th April: ANZAC Day: Pay your respects on the national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand. Join in commemorating all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Introduce a special weekend menu, public holiday takeaway promos or exclusive discounts for veterans. If you’re running a cafe, bake some fresh and delicious ANZAC cookies to pair along with morning coffee.
Marketing example:
Keep in mind that many families may choose to spend their Easter at home. Adding a mix of activities to do in person as well as at home is key here to ensure customer satisfaction.
May: On The Rocks
Key calendar dates:
13th May: World Cocktail day: Spin up a couple new brews and mixes on international cocktail day. Furthermore, you can add a special buy one get one promo for your bar, or extended happy hours for customers.
17th May: World Baking day: Organise a bakery masterclass event to engage with your customers. Workshops on how to bake bread, cupcakes, pies and other treats are a great way to improve community engagement and sell your creations.
Marketing example:
Demonstrate your love for cocktails by introducing new drinks to keep the night going!
June: Winter Wonders
Key calendar dates:
- 1st June to 30th June: Pride Month: Celebrate Pride month with some LGBTQ+ themed colours, events and merchandise. A great way to engage with allies in your customer base.
- 10th June: World Gin day: As winter begins, introduce a unique offer and raise a glass for all the Gin lovers out there. Whether it’s a new cocktail, an exquisite Gin tasting or a complimentary glass, go for something special.
- 21st June: International Yoga day: Spread the message of Yoga to promote mental and physical well-being to help deal with stressful times. Organise a Yoga event for your customers to relax and rejuvenate to take a break from the busyness of work. An effort to reduce stress, anxiety while improving flexibility and health won’t go unnoticed.
Marketing example:
Everyone likes to switch things up from time to time. Gin tasting exudes elegance and can attract a largely professional, wealthy crowd to your event. Secondly, the growing trend of Yoga and well-being makes Yoga day a great opportunity to get a stretch.
July: School Holidays In!
Key calendar dates:
7th July: World Chocolate day: Join in celebrating the love for chocolate all around the world on chocolate day. Try an exquisite chocolate tasting event, or some playful trivia with a chocolate hamper as a prize. Complimentary little chocolate snacks to kids who visit can do the job as well.
17th July: World Emoji day: Indulge in some playful emoji fun on your social media channels. Ask customers online what their favourite emoji is, or organise an easy crossword or game challenge involving emojis of sorts. Anything themed to keep the engagement up and running.
24th July: School Holidays Begin (differs per school): Depending on where you’re at, school holidays most likely will begin towards this time. Organsie special events for kids and teenagers to bring more footfall. Kids who learn about your business now will bring in their parents yearning for more!
Marketing example:
Utilise national chocolate day with special chocolate flavours and items. July is peak winter so it’s a great opportunity to indulge in a cup of warm, soothing hot chocolate along with some marshmallows. That’s second to none.
August: Afterpay extravaganza!
Key calendar dates:
- 4th August: International Beer day: Be a part of the global celebration of beer across breweries, pubs and restaurants around the world. Add 1-2 new brews or happy hours to bring more customers in and join the fun.
- 8th August: International Cat day: Invite cat lovers and owners in your city to bring their furry friends out! With plenty of cat owners around, it’s a great chance to invite new customers and show them you care.
- Afterpay Day (Date TBC): Continuing on from March, the second annual Afterpay day sale begins in August again. Great opportunity to bring forward new products and services to customers who prefer paying in instalments.
- 26th August: International Dog’s day: Celebrate the love for dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds. This is a great opportunity to do something outdoors with the theme of ‘take your dog out’. Dog-based games and competitions for prizes for dogs can also work great.
Marketing example:
September: Special time for dad
Key calendar dates:
- 16th September: World Guacamole day: Running a Mexican joint? Love Mexican food? Celebrate Guacamole day with some fresh chips and Guac to offer customers. Regardless of whether your joint is Mexican, everyone loves some good ol’ nachos and guacamole.
Marketing example:
Celebrate with a few nachos in your hand dipped into guac, it’ll be worth it.
October: Halloween scares!
Key calendar dates:
- 1st October: International Coffee day: International Coffee day must be celebrated by Australians all across the country, given our love for the beverage. Treat your customers with a coffee voucher, or a promo to add in a complimentary coffee with a croissant, muffin or sandwich purchase. For the love of Flat Whites and Lattes!
- 10th October: World Mental Health day: Raise awareness for Mental Health on 10th October of the retail calendar. This is a great opportunity to organise a seminar, a guest speaker or a program to discuss some issues involving mental health. Success stories from people suffering from issues such as anxiety and depression also help.
- 31st October: Halloween: Add a creepy, eerie theme to your service offerings. Introducing Halloween exclusive merchandise, or adding references to pop culture media, movies and music can help. You can also organise a special Halloween dress up costume party, with prizes for winners. This will appeal to people of all age groups.
Marketing example:
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Be playful with it to show that you and your business are not afraid to have some fun!
November: Summer approaching!
Key calendar dates:
- 1st November: World Vegan day: Join vegans around the world to celebrate the benefits of veganism for humans and the natural environment. Set up stalls to raise awareness, host vegan potlucks, plant trees and offer a new vegan dish to entice customers.
- 11th November: Remembrance day: Join in commemorating the war veterans who served at the line of duty. Discounts and promos along with a social media post to raise awareness is ideal.
- 24th November: Black Friday: Kick off the massive bumper sale of Black Friday by inviting customers with special deals and offers. Remember that every major retailer will be capitalising on this the sooner you act, the better! Discounts of upto 50% can be utilised with rewards for loyalty customers
- 27th November: Cyber Monday: Continue the sale fever through the weekend to Cyber Monday. Include new deals only available online to increase e-commerce activity and website traffic. Secondly, online ads and campaigns will be highly beneficial here, so make the most of it!
- 30th November: St. Andrew’s day: Celebrate the feast of Andrew the Apostle on St. Andrew’s day. This is a great opportunity to show cultural awareness for your audience with a special themed event or culinary options at your establishment.
Marketing example:
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November is the time to gear up before the December rush. Gear up and get started!
December: T’is the Season!
Key calendar dates:
- 24th Dec: Christmas Eve: Plan beforehand as we approach Christmas. Customers will be expecting an end of the year sale so brace yourself for that. Busy days ahead!
- 25th Dec: Christmas Day: Celebrate the religious and cultural celebration of Jesus Christ’s birthday all across the world. Christmas special deals, promos, events and activities should be implemented here so make the most out of this time. Gift purchasing will peak, and social media channels will be bustling. Expect a good amount of sales traffic taking place here during this holiday period.
- 26th Dec: Boxing Day: The biggest sale of the year is here so offer up something special for new as well as existing customer groups. Fuel the shopping frenzy with blockbuster sales, discounts, promos and deals to bring customers in throughout the day. For restaurants, complimentary deals on drinks, as well as special offers for large group bookings can be used here. Free shipping for online deliveries is also a great way to keep online activity busy.
- 31st Dec: New Year’s Eve: Prepare to wrap up the year with an extended Boxing day sale. Not all retailers will be doing this so you can separate yourself by surprising your customers. Doing so will help create a buffer in financial progress, since sales tend to drop as January approaches. Furthermore, any excess stock can also be sold off to start the new year afresh.
Marketing example:
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Final thoughts…
And that’s a wrap! We hope that our Retail Calendar for 2023 will help you navigate through the year with all the key dates to look out for. Increase your profits and financial performance by making the most of occasions throughout the year. Furthermore, draw out some inspiration from the Marketing examples showcased above and plan out your year in grand style!
Which key retail calendar 2023 dates do you wait for in your Marketing each year? Let us know by sharing some of your most effective campaigns in the comments below.
In case you missed it…
Download a PDF version of our 2023 calendar to print, read offline, or share with your friends, family and colleagues!
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