Key Dates for Your Q4 Diary

Now that the peak of the summer is over and the back-to-school season is well underway, it’s time to wrap up the year with Q4 – traditionally the largest consumer spending period which aligns with the holiday season and conventional gift-giving.

The final few months of 2022 were a peak on top of a peak – as consumer behaviour returned to normal after years of uncertainty, eCommerce sales rose even further.

According to data collected by our insights and analytics platform, Salesfire Trends, eCommerce web orders grew by an impressive 41.99% on Black Friday 2022.

This year will be no different, with buyer confidence on the rise and businesses being more digital-focused, we are anticipating another busy Golden Quarter online.

Preparing for Q4

Following the digital transformation and new consumer shopping habits, users are shopping online more than ever, with reports showing that UK shoppers prefer to shop online across almost all industries.¹

With stats like these, we can anticipate another hectic end to the year, so it is imperative that you are prepared.

Ensure that your website is equipped to handle the spikes in traffic, work with your suppliers to establish stock availability levels and build anticipation early by drip-feeding teasers across your omnichannel platforms to gain consumer interest and excitement.

At Salesfire, we are excited to support our clients through the most wonderful time of the year by offering tailored strategy ideas and further optimisation of our tools to drive sales and enhance your customers’ overall experience.

Take a look at some of the key dates over the next few months to spark campaign interest and creation.

Halloween – 31st October

Halloween has lured the UK market into its spooky spirit for several years, with consumer spending hitting over £680 million in 2022.²

To capitalise on this year’s trick-or-treat spenders, you can:

• Promote relevant products with dedicated landing pages
• Keep your customers hooked by running competitions and loyalty schemes
• Share user-generated content on socials to increase buyer confidence

Single’s Day – 11th November

Originally a Chinese holiday to celebrate being young and single, this date has slowly transformed into a huge sales event across the globe.

Data from Salesfire’s Trends found that Single’s Day was nearly as large as Black Friday for the Clothing and Accessories industry in 2022.

Fashion and beauty brands such as ASOS, LookFantastic and Boohoo have taken advantage of this in previous years by offering exclusive discounts.

This is also an excellent opportunity to raise engagement with your customers on social media and generate conversation.

Black Friday – 26th November

One of the biggest, most significant dates in the online retail calendar, Black Friday is the ultimate event to use clever tactics in order to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Savvy shoppers will be scoping out the best deals weeks beforehand, here are some strategies you can use to maximise your full opportunities for a successful Cyber Week:

• Build brand loyalty: Tell your customers in advance what the promotions will be and help them make better purchasing decisions by spreading sales throughout the month.
• Increase your AOV: Offer incentives such as next-day delivery or a free gift with a minimum spend to tip customers into a higher spending tier and grow average order values.
• Crease urgency: Utilise countdown timers on-site to increase the sense of urgency and a streak of FOMO to pressure customers into making a purchase.

Boxing Day/Winter Sales – 26th December Onwards

Keep the orders flooding in between Christmas and New Year by offering further discounts, using enticing CTA buttons and well-timed, thoughtful email campaigns.

Competition remains fierce and retailers will be pushing their remaining stock out the door through an avalanche of promotional deals, so keep your strategies simple and straightforward to ensure customers don’t miss out.

There is a goldmine of sales opportunities in Q4.

With clearly defined goals, Salesfire can support you by increasing conversions and customer acquisition to meet them and help finish the year on a high.

No matter how large or small your business is, you should always have a seasonal strategy in place to fit your objectives and stand out against your competitors.

¹ Where shoppers would do most of their shopping if they could choose freely | Klarna Insights

² Halloween statistics | Finder