Retail Marketing Calendar 2026

We've put together our annual retail marketing calendar. It's packed with the key dates and National Days for the UK in 2026. It's designed to give you plenty of ideas to inspire your sales campaigns. Keep it simple and focus on the events that align best with your brand.

January 2026

At the start of the year, shoppers are eager to spend their Christmas money and redeem gift cards, making January one of the strongest months for both online and in-store sales. It’s also the perfect opportunity for retailers to clear leftover stock and spotlight on gift hampers.

• 1st January: New Year’s Day
• 5th January: Twelfth Night
• 6th January: National Shortbread Day
• 19th January: Blue Monday (3rd Monday of January)
• 20th January: National Cheese Lovers Day
• 25th January: Burns Night
• 27th January: Chocolate Cake Day
• 31st January: Hot Chocolate Day

February 2026

February offers a chance to engage shoppers as many start to move on from their New Year’s resolutions. With occasions like Random Acts of Kindness Day, Love Your Pet Day, Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year, it’s the perfect month for showing appreciation and adding a touch of fun or romance. For Valentine’s Day, consider festive packaging with red and pink tissue paper or shredded paper to enhance the overall experience.

• 2nd February: British Yorkshire Pudding Day
• 7th February: Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
• 14th February: Valentine’s Day
• 16th February: Chinese New Year’s Eve
• 17th February: Pancake Day / Shrove Tuesday
• 18th February: Ash Wednesday
• 17th February-3rd March: Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse)
• 17th February: Random Acts of Kindness Day
• 20th February: Love Your Pet Day

March 2026

As the weather warms up, customers' moods begin to lift, making March a prime month for engaging campaigns. Celebrate International Women's Day, Mother's Day, and St. Patrick's Day through your product range of store displays. Add a splash of colour to your hamper gifts with green tissue paper and shredded paper to tie into the season's festive themes.

• 1st March: St. David’s Day
• 2nd–8th March: British Pie Week
• 5th March: World Book Day
• 8th March: International Women’s Day
• 15th March: Mother’s Day
• 17th March: St. Patrick’s Day
• 18th March: Global Recycling Day
• 20th March: First Day of Spring
• 29th March: British Summer Time (BST) starts

April 2026

April is a great month to showcase foodie hampers filled with chocolate eggs, simnel cake, and other sweet treats. National Tea Day offers the opportunity to create afternoon tea hampers, celebrating a cherished British tradition. If food hampers aren't your focus, Earth Day at the end of the month is an ideal moment to highlight your brand's environmental initiatives. And for animal lovers, National Pet Day gives another chance to engage customers who adore their furry friends.

• 1st April: April Fool’s Day
• 3rd April: Good Friday
• 5th April: Easter Sunday
• 6th April: Easter Monday
• 11th April: National Pet Day
• 14th April: Garden Day
• 21st April: National Tea Day
• 22nd April: Earth Day
• 23rd April: St. George’s Day

May 2026

As temperatures rise and summer starts to peak through, May is the time to celebrate seasonal flavours and indulgences. Highlight World Cocktail Day with curated hampers featuring refreshing drinks, or focus on food hampers for World Baking Day and National Biscuit Day. These occasions give your brand a chance to connect with customers looking for seasonal treats and gifts

• 4th May: May Day
• 4th May: Star Wars Day
• 5th May: Early May Bank Holiday
• 11th May: Eat What You Want Day
• 13th May: World Cocktail Day
• 16th May: International Day of Light
• 17th May: World Baking Day
• 19th-23rd May: Chelsea Flower Show
• 20th May: World Bee Day
• 25th May: Spring Bank Holiday
• 29th May: National Biscuit Day

June 2026

With picnic season in full swing, June is the perfect month to fill hampers with deli treats like scotch eggs, sausage rolls, and seasonal favourites. It’s also an ideal time to combine these themes, with World Gin Day and Father’s Day giving opportunities for both beverage-focused and gift hampers.

• 1st-30th June: Pride Month
• 13th June: World Gin Day
• 18th June: International Picnic Day
• 18th June: Clean Air Day
• 21st June: Summer Solstice
• 21st June: Father’s Day
• 24th June: Midsummer’s Day

July 2026

July tends to be a quieter month, making it ideal for restocking inventory and planning campaigns for the second half of the year. At the same time, you can keep customers engaged with themed hampers - think chocolate treats for World Chocolate Day or a Wimbledon-inspired hamper with Pimm’s, strawberries, and cream. Seasonal produce and summer flavours also lend themselves to creative gift sets.

• 30th June-13th July: Wimbledon Tennis Championships
• 6th July: Thank You Day
• 7th July: World Chocolate Day
• 14th July: Battle of the Boyne
• 25th July: Cheese & Wine Day
• 31st July: International Day of Friendship

August 2026

August marks the final stretch of summer, as families enjoy the season before the back-to-school period begins. While in-store footfall may dip, online sales often see a boost. Use niche holidays like Book Lovers Day and World Photography Day to get creative with hampers, displays, and themed campaigns, keeping your brand visible during the quieter weeks.

• 4th August: Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)
• 8th August: International Cat Day
• 9th August: Book Lovers Day
• 13th August: Prosecco Day
• 17th August: National Cupcake Day
• 19th August: World Photography Day
• 27th August: National Burger Day
• 31st August: Summer Bank Holiday (England, Wales, NI)

September 2026

September is the perfect month to start planning for Christmas. For brick-and-mortar retailers, focus on shaping your festive strategy, including promotions, point-of-sale materials, and eye-catching displays. Online retailers can prepare email campaigns, design a seasonal landing page, and set up promotional codes to get ahead of the festive rush.

• 5th September: International Charity Day
• 9th September: Emergency Services Day
• 13th September: Roald Dahl Day
• 18th September: National Fitness Day
• 21st September: International Day of Peace
• 25th September: World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
• 27th September: World Tourism Day
• 29th September: National Coffee Day

October 2026

October is packed with sales opportunities for retailers. Capture customer attention during UK Coffee Week with complementary coffee samples or themed hampers. Later in the month, Pumpkin Day and Halloween provide perfect occasions to offer seasonal discounts and promotions. Add festive flair with orange and yellow shredded paper to create fun, spooky hampers.

• 1st October: World Vegetarian Day
• 2nd October: World Smile Day
• 3rd October: Buy British Day
• 5th October: World Teachers’ Day
• 10th October: World Mental Health Awareness Day
• 12th-18th October: UK Coffee Week
• 26th October: Pumpkin Day
• 29th October: RSPB Feed the Birds Day
• 31st October: Halloween

November 2026

November is a month of anticipation and intensity for retailers. Customers are on the lookout for discounts and getting an early start on Christmas shopping, making it one of the busiest periods of the year. Stock up on wicker hampers, gift boxes, and other packaging supplies early in the month to stay prepared for peak demand. Even if your brand doesn’t fully embrace Black Friday, it’s an excellent opportunity to capitalise on increased customer traffic.

• 1st November: World Vegan Day
• 4th November: Roast Dinner Day
• 5th November: Guy Fawkes Day
• 8th November: Remembrance Sunday
• 11th November: Remembrance Day
• 13th November: World Kindness Day
• 28th November: Black Friday
• 29th November: Small Business Saturday
• 30th November: St Andrew’s Day

December 2026

By December, most sales targets are within reach, but there's still time to capture last-minute shoppers. Demand remains high as customers search for Christmas gifts for friends and family. Highlight your most giftable products, offer targeted discounts, and provide clear delivery lead times to ensure orders arrive in time for the festive season.

• 1st December: Cyber Monday
• 4th December: National Cookie Day
• 10th December: Christmas Jumper Day
• 21st December: Winter Solstice
• 25th December: Christmas Day
• 26th December: Boxing Day
• 31st December: New Year’s Eve