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The year's best sales days and important marketing dates

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The year's best sales days and important marketing dates

Combine newsletter and SMS campaigns to ensure you reach your customers on the best sales days of the year.

The globalization of our consumption patterns has led to the introduction of several international sales days, to both the delight and confusion of many Norwegian businesses. While the opportunities are numerous, competition is also fierce, making product exposure particularly challenging during these high-volume sales days.

This guide helps you prepare for the best sales days of the year. Get tips on how to market these days for perfect timing, and what you can do to communicate a better offer than your competitors.

January

The New Year Sale (January Sale) has a long tradition in Norway dating back to the 1980s. With many people exchanging Christmas gifts, returns are frequent. Consequently, the retail industry quickly turned this into a major promotional event for Norwegian consumers, many of whom now habitually wait until the new year to make major purchases.

Marketing for the New Year Sale can start a few days early, around December 27. There is no need to advertise a month in advance. Instead, focus heavily on advertising from January 5.

Tip: Send out an engaging newsletter featuring the best deals, and remember to include a unique offer for your subscribers. To drive even more traffic, you can also send a discount code via our SMS service.

Use terms like "New Year Sale" and "January Sale". Be creative, for example, "January Clearance!" or "New Year! New Prices!". Many retailers extend this event for 2 to 3 days. Offer good deals on typical Christmas items and winter products that are popular gifts, and feature products you know your business sold in high volumes during November and December.

Blue Monday

Blue Monday always falls on the third Monday of January. While not yet as widespread in Norway, it is designed as a boost once the post-holiday high has settled and everyday routine returns – often accompanied by tighter budgets. What could be better than a day of discounted goods?

You can start advertising Blue Monday a week in advance, keeping the marketing consistent leading up to and during the day. A quick SMS campaign with a discount code on the day itself is an effective way to drive traffic. Blue Monday is a single-day event, so there is no need to extend it into Tuesday.

Use the term "Blue Monday". Focus on everyday routines and offering encouragement, with phrases like "Missed the New Year sale? Don't worry!". The options are plentiful.

February

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is widely recognized. Mothers deserve appreciation, and this day is heavily promoted in Norway. In Norway, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of February.

It is common to run campaigns for Mother's Day starting two weeks prior, intensifying the marketing in the final days before, especially on Saturday. Many purchase at the last minute because specific types of gift items are particularly popular.

Mother's Day is about showing appreciation and pampering mothers, whether with cakes, flowers, chocolates, breakfast in bed, or similar. Align your items and products with things a mother can use. Love, warmth, and appreciation are key themes here.

Use phrases like "Remember Mother's Day!", "Dear Mom", and "Have you remembered your mother?"

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is about celebrating partners, but also good friends. Most people in Norway participate in this event, often buying gifts for close friends if they do not have a partner.

Start your campaign 3 to 7 days in advance. As with Mother's and Father's Day, purchases are often spontaneous and last-minute. Therefore, advertise heavily from the morning of the day itself.

Focus on love, friendship, romance, warmth, and care. Popular items include flowers, cards, confectionery, chocolates, and lingerie. Showcase your relevant products and use terms like "For Her," "For Him," "A Good Friend?" "In Love?" "Valentine's Sale," and "Valentine's Offer."

March

International Women's Day / March 8

International Women's Day on March 8 can be relevant for flowers, gifts, cosmetics, fashion, books, culture, courses, organizations, and branding. The day should be approached thoughtfully, and the message should feel genuine and relevant to the target audience.

Start communicating a few days in advance if you have suitable products, events, or content. For organizations and B2B players, the day can also be used for professional content, seminars, or campaigns related to diversity and equality.

Use phrasing like "Mark Women's Day," "March 8," "A Gift with Meaning," "Celebrate the Women in Your Life," or more values-based messages if appropriate.

Spring Campaigns and Spring News

March is a natural transition to spring and is well-suited for campaigns in clothing, interior design, gardening, sports, fitness, cleaning, home improvement, and seasonal arrivals. Many consumers are ready for a refresh after winter.

Use newsletters for inspiration, trends, and product guides, and SMS for brief reminders about campaigns or limited-time offers.

Use expressions like "Spring Arrivals," "Get Ready for Spring," "Fresh Start," "Spring Cleaning," and "New Favorites for the Season."

April

Easter

April is a period of the year when shopping activity generally slows down, making it advantageous to offer good deals that last throughout Easter. It is not as intense a campaign period as the sales mentioned above, which provides many opportunities to stand out while competitors are less active.

Start your pre-campaign a week early, and maintain a steady campaign during the week of the Easter holiday.

While Easter is a traditional holiday, the commercial representation of Easter includes Easter eggs, Easter trivia, and skiing holidays. Aim to reach everyone with a broad appeal. Use terms like "Easter Sale" and "Easter Offer" – feel free to be creative.

Green Friday / Weekend

Green Friday has gained momentum over the last few years as a spring alternative to Black Friday, with many extending it through Monday. This event is becoming increasingly popular in Norway, particularly among online stores.

You can start a pre-campaign a couple of days in advance and keep it running for a week.

This is a pure shopping day celebrating spring, but commercially it functions much like Black Friday. Utilize the theme fully, focusing on spring and green motifs. Use terms like "Green Weekend Sale!" and "Green Friday," or "Spring is Here! – Green Friday Deals."

May–July

May 17th (Constitution Day) is one of the most important holidays in Norway, making it highly suitable for campaigns related to clothing, food, flowers, decorations, catering, events, and local offers. Many plan their purchases in the days leading up to the national day, so it pays to be early.
Start your campaign one to two weeks prior, and increase intensity in the final days before May 17th. Use newsletters for inspiration and product suggestions, and SMS for last-minute reminders or local offers.
Use expressions like "Ready for May 17th?", "Everything you need for the National Day", "Last chance before the celebration", and "Get ready for the big day".

Confirmation Season
May and June are the peak season for confirmations. This is highly relevant for gifts, clothing, footwear, photography, catering, venues, hairdressing, beauty, flowers, and experiences.
Campaigns should start early, preferably several weeks before the main confirmation weekends. Share gift guides, package deals, and checklists in newsletters, and use SMS to remind customers of ordering deadlines.
Use terms like "Gift ideas for the confirmand", "Ready for the confirmation", "Everything for the big day", and "Order before the deadline".

Summer Sale
In the commercial market, summer sales start earlier each year, now often creeping into May. Historically starting in mid-June, market forces and competition have shifted the timeline, and it is no longer uncommon to see pre-campaigns begin right after May 17th.
Start a pre-campaign in the last two weeks of May, and maintain a steady campaign throughout June and July with rotating offers.
Focus on themes of warmth, water, sun, beach, school holidays, travel, activities, family, and fun. Choose from a wide variety of angles. Use expressions like "Summer Sale!", "Sizzling Summer Deals", and "Summer is Here!". There are plenty of opportunities to expand on the summer theme with steady, high-quality offers throughout this long period.

Pride
Pride events in June can be relevant for branding, events, culture, organizations, and businesses actively working with inclusion. It is crucial that communication feels authentic, thoughtful, and aligned with your company values.
Avoid campaigns that use Pride solely as decoration. Instead, share events, support initiatives, partnerships, internal actions, or products where appropriate.
Use phrasing like "We celebrate Pride", "Diversity and inclusion", "Join the celebration", and "Support a good cause".

Midsummer (Sankthans)
Midsummer is relevant for food, beverages, grilling, gardening, outdoor living, boating, travel, events, and local experiences. This is a great opportunity for campaigns centered around summer vibes and social gatherings.
Start the campaign a few days to a week in advance, focusing on inspiration, package deals, and last-minute purchases.
Use terms like "Ready for Midsummer?", "Summer evening deals", "Everything for the midsummer party", and "Prepare your outdoor space".

School Holidays and Summer Vacation
The end of the school year and start of summer vacation is a strong promotional period for travel, experiences, sports, clothing, gear, gifts, and family activities. Many plan their holidays and leisure time in the weeks leading up to summer.
Use newsletters for inspiration and guides, and SMS for limited-time offers or deadline reminders.
Use expressions like "Ready for the summer holiday", "Everything for your vacation", "End-of-school deals", and "Summer's best buys".

September

Autumn Campaigns and Autumn Arrivals

While September generally lacks major sales days, it is a strong month for "back to routine" campaigns. It is highly suitable for clothing, home interiors, courses, fitness, subscriptions, B2B, office supplies, and products that help people get organized after the summer.

Start the campaign early in September, when daily routines resume and customers are more receptive to structure, planning, and new habits.

Use expressions like "Back to the Routine", "Autumn Arrivals", "New Season", "Get Back on Track", and "Simplify Your Autumn".

Autumn Holidays

The autumn holiday period is relevant for travel, experiences, family activities, sports, outdoor life, local events, and dining. Many plan shorter trips and activities for children and families.

Campaigns can start two to three weeks before the holidays, and should ideally adapt to regional schedule differences, as the holiday weeks vary by county.

Use terms like "Ready for the autumn holiday?", "Activities for the whole family", "Autumn holiday deals", "Autumn experiences", and "Last chance before the holidays".

October

Halloween

Halloween is a day for fun, costumes, candy, and parties. It has grown into a highly successful commercial event in Norway over the past decade, and continues to expand.

Most retailers start pre-campaigning for Halloween two weeks in advance, with heavy promotions in the final days leading up to the event. Consider running offers on the day itself as well.

Use terms like "Spooktacular Savings," "Scary Good Deals," "Halloween," and "Trick or Treat Offers." Use your imagination and make full use of Halloween themes.

Pink Ribbon and Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Pink Ribbon campaign can be relevant for branding, charity partnership, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. This should be handled with professional integrity and ideally linked to actual support, partnership, or donations.

Communicate clearly how the customer's purchase contributes, and avoid treating the cause as a standard sales promotion. Newsletters are well-suited for explaining the initiative, while SMS should be used selectively and with a clear focus.

Use phrasing like "Support Pink Ribbon," "Together for an Important Cause," and "A portion of sales goes to..." where applicable.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 and is relevant for HR, organizations, healthcare, training, non-profits, internal communications, and businesses focusing on the working environment.

This day is primarily an opportunity for relationship-building and values alignment, rather than direct sales. Share useful content, invite clients to events, or highlight initiatives that can support your target audience.

Use phrasing like "Take care of each other," "Mental health in the workplace," "Join the campaign," and "An important reminder."

November

Father's Day

Father's Day is celebrated to honor fathers. In Norway, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of November. Key themes include appreciation and warmth, but also tools and practical items.

As with Mother's Day, it is standard to run campaigns starting two weeks prior, intensifying in the final days, especially on Saturday. Last-minute purchasing is common as specific categories of items are highly popular.

Father's Day is about showing appreciation for fathers, often with gifts like wine, chocolate, a tie, a mug, socks, garden tools, or similar practical items. Ultimately, the focus remains on appreciation and care.

Use phrases like "Remember Father's Day!", "Have you remembered Father's Day?", and "Father's Day".

Singles' Day

Singles' Day has emerged in recent years as a trend to celebrate single people. The retail sector has embraced this, with initiatives such as grocery stores offering shopping baskets for singles. The event is held on 11.11, with the ones representing single individuals. The day is gaining ground in Norway, offering a chance to be an early adopter and stand out.

Run a pre-campaign a couple of days in advance, with direct offers on the day itself.

Create an engaging theme around the event, perhaps focusing on self-realization or connecting individuals. Use creative angles like "This 'product' will be your soulmate!", "Buy two, pay for one", and "Singles' Day".

Black Week

Black Week has become as crucial as Black Friday itself for many online retailers. Many launch offers early in the week, and customers often expect the best deals to appear before Friday.

Use Black Week to build anticipation over several days, ensuring offers remain clear and targeted. Segment your campaign into distinct themes, categories, or daily deals.

Use terms like "Black Week is on", "New deals every day", "Ahead of Black Friday", and "The week's best prices".

Black Friday

Black Friday is the largest shopping day globally, and Norway is no exception. This event has established a major market presence and is frequently extended into "Black Weekend." Because it is not tied to a specific theme, it is open to promotions across all product categories.

Build anticipation starting two weeks prior, and execute intensive promotions from Friday through Sunday.

Focus directly on core messaging: "Black Friday!" and "Black Weekend!", offering your strongest deals of the year during this period without exception.

– We are ready for Black Friday, are you? – The Black Friday sale starts tomorrow. Save up to 70%. – Starting Black Friday early. Buy more, save more. – The countdown to Black Friday starts now. – Black Friday early bird deals end soon. – Black Friday: The offers you have been waiting for. – Wake up to Black Friday deals. – 20% off for Black Weekend starts now. – Black Friday starts now. No queues, no stress. – Don't forget Black Friday. We are launching with a 30% discount storewide.

Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is less established in Norway but can be highly relevant for local shops, niche businesses, craftspeople, and small e-commerce stores. This day can be used to promote local alternatives following the high volume of Black Friday.

Focus on quality, local presence, service, and the story behind your business. It is an excellent opportunity to use newsletters to build customer relationships rather than just promoting discounts.

Use phrases like "Support local businesses", "Shop small, shop smart", "Local favorites", and "Thank you for shopping with us".

Cyber Monday

Originally linked to Thanksgiving and holiday shopping, Cyber Monday is globally recognized as an extension of "Black Friday." It has grown significantly and should be included in your promotional sequence if you run a "Black Weekend" campaign.

Cyber Monday should be advertised specifically on Monday itself.

Direct your messaging to consumers who missed the weekend promotions. Use terms like "Cyber Monday" and "Missed out on Black Weekend?"

Giving Tuesday

Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is highly relevant for non-profit organizations, memberships, donations, volunteering, and community-focused campaigns.

Commercial businesses can use this day to support a cause, donate a portion of sales, or invite customers to participate in a specific initiative. Be completely transparent about how contributions are used.

Use phrasing like "Give back", "Support a good cause", "Together we can make a difference", and "A portion of sales goes to..." if applicable.

December

Advent and Advent Calendars

Advent is a key period for ongoing marketing in December. An advent calendar or a series of daily/weekly offers can drive repeat visits and build anticipation leading up to Christmas.

Plan your campaign well in advance and use newsletters to present the calendar. SMS can be used for selected calendar doors, final deadlines, or exclusive offers.

Use expressions like "Today's Deal", "Advent Offer", "The Advent Calendar is open", and "New deal every day".

Christmas Sales

December sees continuous holiday shopping right up to Christmas Eve. Customers buy gifts at different times for many friends and family members, making this a prolonged sales period.

Start your Christmas campaign on the first business day of December, maintaining rotating offers until Christmas Eve to maximize sales. An Advent Calendar allows you to automate this process, allowing you to focus on other priorities, collect GDPR-compliant consents, follow up with post-Christmas offers, and generate new leads.

If you run an online store, remember to remind customers that shipping during the final week before Christmas Eve may experience delays.

Incorporate classic green, red, and white holiday themes with motifs like Santa, trees, snow, snowmen, and gifts. There are many options for holiday messaging, including "Christmas Offer," "Christmas Sale," "Gift Event," and "Merry Christmas." Use any terms related to the festive season.

St. Lucia's Day

St. Lucia's Day is marked on December 13 and can be relevant for bakeries, florists, local shops, events, schools, and eateries. While not as commercial as general Christmas sales, it works well for local and atmosphere-based campaigns.

Use this day to promote baked goods, small gifts, flowers, or local gatherings.

Use phrases like "St. Lucia atmosphere", "Fresh baked goods for St. Lucia", "Brighten up December", and "Small joys before Christmas".

Christmas Parties and End-of-Year Gatherings

The Christmas party season is highly relevant for restaurants, hotels, transport, fashion, beauty, hairdressing, gifts, experiences, and the corporate market. Many book early, while others seek last-minute options.

Start your booking campaign as early as October or November, and use December to promote remaining availability, gift cards, and practical reminders.

Use expressions like "Book this year's Christmas party", "Ready for the festive season", "Last remaining dates", and "Gift cards for employees".

The Post-Christmas Period (Romjulen)

The days between Christmas and New Year serve as the lead-up to the January/New Year sales. This is a practical time to offer returns or exchanges on items, which often occur in high volumes.

Start your campaign on December 25 and run it through December 30 as a preparation for the New Year sales.

Consider themes that highlight sustainability by exchanging items for products customers will actively use. Use terms like "Post-Christmas Sale," "Exchange Promotion," and "The Last Deals of the Year!"

New Year's Eve and the Final Opportunity

New Year's Eve is relevant for celebrations, food, beverages, fashion, interior decor, experiences, transport, fitness, resolutions, and "last chance" campaigns. Many purchases are made late, particularly for party hosting and plans.

This day represents the absolute last chance for customers before the new year. In practice, it functions similarly to the January sales, but before the calendar year changes.

Run campaigns on the day itself. Focus on the final opportunity, using phrases like "The LAST deals of the year!", "Today only!", "Ready for New Year's?", and "Start the new year right."

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