Preparing Your 2022 Seller Calendar

The year is long, but selling windows are short. At the same time, you have to be prepared, well in advance, for the rushes and standstills that come your way throughout the year. Having a plan means knowing what to look out for. Here’s a list of the important dates you need to know as an Amazon seller. Some of these may require some independent marketing on your end, since they’re not exactly Amazon holidays, but consider them an opportunity to stand out.

January

1/1 New Year’s Day

1/17 MLK Day

Resolution Month

An extension of the winter frenzy from the year before, New Year’s Day is a chance to both reach out to people celebrating the arrival of 2022 as well as sell to people hoping to capitalize on the post-Christmas rush. Yes, that likely means offering a sale, but it’s inventory that doesn’t have to go to waste and can lead to unexpected profit. In recent years, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has also started to become something of a sales holiday, a chance to escape the post-Christmas lull. Overall, remember that January is a resolution month. People will be looking for ways to improve their lives and make changes from the year before. What products do you offer that can help do that?

February

2/1 Lunar New Year

2/2 Groundhog Day

2/14 Valentine’s Day

2/21 Presidents Day

February opens up with two underrated holiday opportunities. The first is Lunar New Year, which right now seems largely limited to the video game industry. Yet, for the right mind in the right industry, it offers a promotional opportunity that could separate you from the competition. The other is Groundhog Day. Not in any way traditional, it is precisely its eccentricity that offers the opportunity to provide unexpected deals that offer very real savings. The other two holidays are much more established, with Valentine’s Day the time for romance and President’s Day a fixture in the sales calendar.

March

3/17 St. Patrick’s Day

Daylight Saving Time

Official start of spring

The start of spring, March may not quite be when things start to warm up, but the arrival of Daylight Saving Time pushes the clock forward an hour. While evidence is limited as to its definite effects on retail, more daylight, especially in places where temperatures don’t drop dramatically, brings outdoor activities into the equation in a way they weren’t just a few months earlier. Finally, St. Patrick’s Day is your chance to turn everything green (literally or figuratively). Last year saw the traditional Irish holiday host various sales on everything from clothing to technology.

April

4/1 April Fools’ Day

4/17 Easter

4/22 Earth Day

Warmer temperatures

April opens with April Fools’ Day, which could be an opportunity to add a sale or two, but it does come at the risk of everyone thinking you’re joking. Consider your audience, your product, and your brand voice, then decide if this is the right day for you to do something sales-related. Easter then comes into the picture, which offers a weekend to sell, as well as a sign that spring is in full swing. Lastly, it ends with Earth Day, which is becoming more and more popular. Sustainability is massively on the rise, including at Amazon itself. This is the time to promote, push, and rollout any sustainable products. Make sure your customers know that you share this value with them. Also, temperatures will be going up at this point, so it’s time to start thinking about promoting products good for the summer and the outdoors.

May

5/5 Cinco de Mayo

5/8 Mother’s Day

5/31 Memorial Day

Cinco de May is not really a retail holiday, largely limited to deals at restaurants. Fortunately, Mother’s Day is right around the corner, offering the chance to provide deals on items for mom. Finally, the month ends with Memorial Day, which is a great time to start selling items to lead into summer.

June

6/14 Flag Day

6/19 Father’s Day, Juneteenth

Official start of summer

Possible Prime Day

June is fairly quiet until the middle of the month, when Flag Day and Father’s Day arrive. Flag Day isn’t really much a sales day, but be aware of it, see if you can’t get creative. Father’s Day, on the other hand, coincides nicely with a key fact about June: It’s the official start of summer. Outdoor and backyard gear is perfect for dad, but also for everyone who’s excited for the weather to heat up. Also, be on the lookout for Prime Day, which was held in June in 2021.

July

7/4 Independence Day

Possible Prime Day

July starts off with a bang. Independence Day is a massive day for sales, as evidenced by the sheer number of offers last year. If you can throw an American flag theme on it, all the better. Be ready for sales on this day. The rest of the month is fairly quiet…except that it’s traditionally been the time for Prime Day. Keep an eye out for it if it hasn’t happened already.

August

Tax-free weekends

The dog days of August are the dog days of sales. There are no official holidays on the calendar, but there’s still opportunity. In more than a dozen states there are tax-free weekends to help families afford essential items. Amazon will recognize the tax-exempt status these states offer to qualifying items. If you sell something that qualifies, do not miss out on this opportunity, especially in a month with very little else going on.

September

9/5 Labor Day

Official start of fall

Despite only having one holiday, September does stand out for a couple reasons. The first is Labor Day, of course, which offers substantial sales opportunity. The second is that it’s the official start of fall, and while that’s generally more associated with October, it’s an opportunity to start capitalizing on that transition from consumers. At the very least, it’s time to start considering the latest change in weather.

October

10/10 Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day

10/31 Halloween

The start of the holiday season, everything in October builds up to Halloween. But before that, there’s Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which has traditionally been a big sales day, especially for furniture and back-to-school items. However, the name of the day itself has, for retailing purposes, started to fade from popularity as the celebration becomes more controversial, but the sales day itself remains intact. Then, of course, there’s the big one, Halloween, where everything gets a spooky refresh.

November

11/6 Daylight Saving Time

11/8 Election Day

11/11 Veterans Day

11/24 Thanksgiving

11/25 Black Friday

11/28 Cyber Monday

Ahh, November, the month made for online shopping. And in 2022, there’s also a midterm election, which is good to note, even if it doesn’t carry the same weight as a presidential year. Veterans Day has also become a sales holiday for active service members and veterans to get deals. Thanksgiving has somehow avoided becoming a retail holiday, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday have essentially combined to take over the month.

December

12/17 Super Saturday

12/19 Hanukkah

12/24 Christmas Eve

12/25 Christmas

12/31 New Year’s Eve

Holiday Season

Official start of winter

Along with November, December is the biggest selling month of the year for eCommerce. But you already knew that. You’re not here to learn more about the importance of selling in December. It’s making sure you’re prepared to sell in December that’s critical. Do all this, and you’ll be able to capitalize on the biggest month of the year, heading into 2023 with optimism about the year to come.

National [Blank] Day

Finally, this last tip is largely independent from Amazon, but your own marketing efforts can pick up the slack. Every day of the year has some kind of “National [Blank] Day,” as evidenced here. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day, while September 27th is National Scarf Day. Perhaps not as high on the list of priorities as Cyber Monday, but it’s an extra chance to boost sales nonetheless.

Looking Ahead

The most important takeaway from all this is to have a plan. Whether you’re trying to capitalize on every possible opportunity for increased sales (including National Textiles Day, May 3rd) or are simply making sure you nail the big ones, you can’t let these days sneak up on you. Start planning up to three months in advance to make sure your inventory is ready to go, your listings are up to date, and you’ve planned any coupons you want to implement. Be in the right place, but also know what you’re doing when you’re there to get the most out of your FBA business.

On the other hand, there’s a lot that goes into planning for all of these events every year. If it’s time for a change of course, you might consider selling your business. Contact us to find out more.