2024 Retail Marketing Calendar

We've pulled together our own retail marketing calendar. It's filled with the most important dates and National Days for the UK in 2024. It should provide you with enough ideas to use as hooks for your sales campaigns. Don't overcomplicate it, just pick the relevant events that fit your brand.

January 2024

The start of the year brings with it shoppers looking to spend their Christmas money and redeem gift cards. It's one of the most attractive months for online and offline sales. For retailers, this is the perfect opportunity to sell through leftover stock and gift hampers.

• 1st January: New Year's Day
• 1st-31st January: Dry January
• 1st-31st January: Ginuary
• 1st-31st January: Veganuary
• 6th January: National Shortbread Day
• 15th January: Blue Monday
• 25th January: Burns Night
• 27th January: Chocolate Cake Day

February 2024

February is the perfect time to take advantage of people abandoning their New Year's resolutions. With Random Acts of Kindness Day, Love Your Pet Day and Valentine's Day in the mix, it's the time where people show their appreciation for each other. Inject a bit of romance into your Valentine's Day packaging themes with our red and pink tissue paper and shredded paper.

• 4th February: Yorkshire Pudding Day
• 5th February: World Nutella Day
• 9th February: National Pizza Day
• 10th February: Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon)
• 13th February: Pancake Day
• 13th February: Shrove Tuesday
• 14th February: Ash Wednesday
• 14th February: Valentine's Day
• 17th February: Random Act of Kindness Day
• 20th February: Love Your Pet Day

March 2024

Hopefully as the temperature gets a little warmer customers mood starts to lighten. In this month, celebrate International Women's Day, Mother's Day and St Patrick's Day within your range or shop display. Our green shredded paper and tissue paper can add a bit of colour to your hamper gifts.

• 1st March: St David's Day
• 7th March: World Book Day
• 8th March: International Women's Day
• 10th March: Mother's Day
• 10th March: Ramadan starts
• 14th March: Popcorn Lovers Day
• 17th March: St Patrick's Day
• 20th March: First Day of Spring
• 29th March: Good Friday
• 31st March: BST starts
• 31st March: Easter Sunday

April 2024

Easter is the ideal opportunity to sell foodie Hampers. Fill with chocolate eggs, simnel cake, and other sweet-tooth temptations. National Tea Day also brings an opportunity to create afternoon tea hampers, a British favourite. If food hampers aren't your thing, you can use Earth Day at the end of the month to promote your brand's commitment to the environment. As a nation of animal lovers, of course there's another day to celebrate your beloved pet, too.

• 1st April: April Fool's Day
• 1 April: Easter Monday
• 8th April: End of Ramadan
• 10th April: Siblings Day
• 11th April: National Pet Day
• 21st April: National Tea Day
• 22nd April: Earth Day
• 23rd April: St George's Day

May 2024

With temperatures rising, it's time to celebrate the return of Summer! Create gorgeous, filled hampers with cocktails for World Cocktail Day. Or, go for the food hampers with World Baking Day and National Biscuit Day both being celebrated this month.

• 1st May: Labour Day (UK)
• 6th May: Early May Bank Holiday
• 13th May: World Cocktail Day
• 17th May: World Baking Day
• 20th May: World Bee Day
• 27th May: Spring Bank Holiday
• 29th May: National Biscuit Day

June 2024

With picnic season in full swing, fill your hampers with deli produce such as scotch eggs, sausage rolls and more. June also offers an opportunity to combine hamper themes. With World Gin Day, National Beer Day and Father's Day all featuring in the middle of the month.

• 1st June: Global Day of Parents
• 1st June-30th: Pride Month
• 10th June: World Gin Day
• 15th June: National Beer Day (UK)
• 16th June: Father's Day (UK)
• 20th June: Summer Solstice/ Beginning of Summer
• 26th-30th June: Glastonbury Festival
• 24th June: Midsummer's Day

July 2024

As July is a quieter month, take the time to stock up on your inventory and create marketing plans for the second half of the year. Still delight and excite your customers with chocolate hampers for World Chocolate today or perhaps a hamper filled with Pimm's, strawberries and cream, ready for Wimbledon.

• 3rd July: Wimbledon Starts (ends 14th July)
• 7th July: World Chocolate Day
• 10th June: World Gin Day
• 30th July: International Day of Friendship

August 2024

In August, people will be taking advantage of the last of the Summer months before children need to head back to school. Your footfall and offline shoppers may dwindle, but you may see an uptake in online sales. With some niche holidays in August (Book Lovers Day and World Photography Day), time to get more creative with your hampers and displays.

• 2nd August: International Beer Day
• 5th August: Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)
• 8th August: International Cat Day
• 9th August: Book Lovers Day
• 19th August: World Photography Day
• 24th August: National Burger Day
• 26th August: National Dog Day
• 26th August: Summer Bank Holiday (England and Wales)

September 2024

September is a great time to start thinking about Christmas, if you're an offline business then start planning what your Christmas plan will look like. This includes any Christmas promotions, point of sale and retail display. If you're an online retailer, prepare your email campaigns, Christmas landing page and promotional codes.

• 1st September: Back to School (differs by school)
• 22nd September: Autumn Begins

October 2024

October presents enticing sales opportunities for e-commerce retailers. To boost your customers' enthusiasm, capitalise on International Coffee Day by including coffee samples. Towards the end of the month, leverage Pumpkin Day and Halloween to implement impactful discounts and promotions on seasonal products. Our orange and yellow shred are perfect for creating spooky hampers.

• 1st-31st October: Black History Month (UK)
• 1st-31st October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• 1st-31st October: Go Sober for October
• 1st October: International Coffee Day
• 1st October: World Vegetarian Day
• 10th October: World Mental Health Day
• 16th October: World Food Day
• 22nd October: National Nut Day
• 25th October: World Pasta Day
• 26th October: National Pumpkin Day
• 29th October: National Cat Day
• 29th October: British Summer Time ends
• 31st October: Halloween

November 2024

You probably love and dread this month at the same time - it can be a stressful time for retailers. You'll be aiming for your highest sales this month, with customers looking for big discounts and starting their Christmas shopping early. By making sure your wicker hampers, gift boxes, and packaging supplies are topped up at the start of the month, you'll be more prepared for the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Even if your brand doesn't subscribe to the hype of Black Friday, this is still a great opportunity to make the most of the increased footfall.

• 1st-30th November: Movember (Men's Health Awareness Month)
• 1st November: World Vegan Day
• 5th November: Guy Fawkes Night
• 10 November: Remembrance Sunday
• 11th November: Remembrance Day
• 29th November: Black Friday
• 30th November: St Andrew's Day

December 2024

By now, you've hopefully reached your sales targets. And if not, don't worry. Demand is still VERY high, as everyone searches for Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Make sure you promote and discount your most giftable products with a clear lead-time promise. This ensures your customers understand if their order arrives in time for Christmas.

• 2nd December: Cyber Monday
• 4th December: National Cookie Day
• 13th December: Christmas Jumper Day
• 21st December: Winter Solstice
• 24th December: Christmas Eve
• 25th December: Christmas Day
• 26th December: Boxing Day