The busiest weeks of the year are easy to predict. Plan your promotions around them, and you stop scrambling for an idea the week before. Here are the moments worth planning for, with ideas you can adapt for your shop, restaurant, clinic or service business.
| Month | Moments | Promotion ideas |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year, January sales | Clearance sales, fresh-start offers for gyms, clinics and tutoring, gift card top-ups |
| February | Valentine's Day, Family Day (in several provinces) | Gift bundles, prix-fixe dinners, family deals for the long weekend |
| March | March Break | Kids' activities and camps, family meal deals, day-trip specials |
| April | Easter, spring | Seasonal menus and treats, spring cleaning and tune-up offers for home and auto services |
| May | Mother's Day, Victoria Day long weekend | Gift cards, spa and salon packages, patio openings, garden and outdoor sales |
| June | Father's Day, graduations, start of summer | Gift guides, grad party catering, summer hours and events |
| July | Canada Day | Shop-local campaigns, patio specials, community events and sponsorships |
| August | Back-to-school | Stationery and book bundles, haircuts, eye exams, dental check-ups, tutoring sign-ups |
| September | Labour Day, back to routine | Class and program enrolment, fitness memberships, fall menus |
| October | Thanksgiving, Halloween | Holiday catering and pre-orders, costume and candy displays, themed menus |
| November | Black Friday, early holiday shopping | Early-bird offers, gift guides, holiday party bookings |
| December | Holiday season, Boxing Day | Gift cards, last-minute gift ideas, year-end and Boxing Day sales |
How to plan each promotion
- Start six to eight weeks ahead, so print, ads and stock are ready in time.
- Pick one clear offer. Two or three competing deals confuse people.
- Decide where people will see it: in-store signage, flyers, social posts, Google Business Profile, email and text.
- Use the same look and message everywhere, so it's instantly recognisable.
- Set an end date. A real deadline brings people in.
- Afterwards, write down what worked so next year is easier.
Don't forget your own dates
Your anniversary, a grand opening, a renovation, a new product or a new location are all reasons to run a promotion that only you can run. Add them to the calendar too.
Want your year planned out? We plan and run seasonal campaigns from start to finish, including the flyers, signage, ads and emails. See end-to-end campaigns.