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The key e-commerce dates you should know about in 2024

Vivien Christel Vella

December 5, 2023 10 min read

Yes, it’s that time of year: planning for the year ahead. To give you a head start, we’ve collected a selection of essential dates for your 2024 diary.

This list covers key shopping holidays and key cultural events (great for business-boosting marketing campaigns for your business), plus the best e-commerce expos and e-commerce conferences to help you sharpen your entrepreneurial skills.

Let’s take a look at the important dates for your e-commerce marketing calendar throughout 2024.

JANUARY

New Year’s Day - Jan 1st

As New Year's Day (Jan 1st) is traditionally a time when we all set goals or resolutions for the upcoming year, it is a great opportunity to help your customers achieve their goals. This isn’t just about health and fitness, it could be work goals, home renovation, travel, and much more. In many regions, consumers expect discounts or promotional deals—be sure to give them what they want.

NRF ‘24: Retail’s Big Show - January 13th-16th, New York, USA

The first big trade event of 2024 comes up early in the year: The National Retail Federation’s annual conference and expo brings together retailers, vendors, and expert guest speakers. The 2024 incarnation of NRF(1) will feature 1,000 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees, plus speakers from Walmart and Under Armor among others.

eComOne Live - Jan 24th, Lincoln, UK

Join an expert team on January 24th in Lincoln, UK, to gain insights into the latest trends for eCommerce brands across DTC and B2B sectors. This event(2) features workshops, retailer panels, and breakout rooms designed to offer a full day of education exclusively for merchants.

FEBRUARY

Chinese New Year - February 10th

Saturday, February 10th 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year is a traditional 15-day holiday period celebrated in many countries including China, Taiwan, Singapore, and others. Retailers offer discounts and special offers across the period. Food, clothes, shoes, and many other gifts are very popular, especially early in the holiday period.

Phoenix eCommerce Summit - February 13, 2024, Phoenix USA

This summit is a local gathering of Phoenix’s top e-commerce experts and decision-makers(3), including retailers, brands, merchants, and solutions providers.

Valentine's Day - February 14th

The most romantic day of the year (for some). In early February, many will head online to search for the perfect gift for their other half. What personal touches can your business offer to make their gift extra special? Gift wrapping and the option to add a note with their purchase are just a couple of ideas.

Savant eCommerce London 2024 - Feb 21st-22th, London, UK

This annual London-based event is designed to help you stay on top of the latest industry trends and innovations. This annual event(4) is a great way to connect with fellow professionals and better understand how to boost customer loyalty and increase profits. And it’s held in the Shard, so you can look forward to some great views too!

E-commerce Expo Berlin (STATION Berlin) - Feb 22nd , Berlin, Germany

STATION Berlin is Germany’s biggest e-commerce event(5), with 10,000 attendees expected. The event offers an extensive conference program with over 70 industry experts and thought leaders sharing insights on multiple stages and master class sessions.

Ecommerce Packaging & Labelling Expo - Feb 27th-28th, London, UK

The Ecommerce Packaging and Labelling Expo(6) is two days of educational content, product discovery, innovation awards and keynote speakers at London’s ExCel.

White Label Expo - February 27th-28th, London, UK

Join thousands of global e-commerce sellers, suppliers, and buyers under one roof(7), gaining inspiration to elevate your business.

MARCH

International Women's Day 2024 - March 8th

International Women's Day (IWD) 2024 focuses on women's rights, including gender equality, reproductive rights, and ending violence and abuse against women. IWD 2024’s(8) theme is to #InspireInclusion with the aim of celebrating women's achievements, raising awareness of discrimination, and taking action to drive gender parity. Show your company’s support for IWD any way you can, from promotional campaigns to pledging to end gender pay disparity in your business.

Mother's Day (UK) - March 10th

Mother's Day is an important retail holiday, a time when consumers look for the perfect gifts to spoil their mothers. It’s worth noting that many European countries and America celebrate Mother's Day in May, not March, so check your dates first.

London eCommerce Summit - March 13th, London, UK

A sister event to the Manchester event taking place in April. The London eCommerce Summit(9) is a boutique style of live event. It is a one-day gathering of local eCommerce experts and decision-makers across retailers, brands, merchants, and solutions providers.

St. Patrick’s Day - March 17th

Every year on March 17th, people around the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day, an important holiday that honors the patron saint of Ireland. The festivities usually involve parades, festivals, parties, and plenty of green decorations. For e-commerce brands, any party or parade products will be in demand, so make sure you stock plenty of green-themed party products!

eTail Berlin - 19th-20th March, Berlin, Germany

See speakers from big brands like L’Oreal, Burger King and Adidas talk about e-commerce, omnichannel retail, social commerce, and AI at the eTail Berlin(10).

The UN’s International Day of Happiness - March 20th

The International Day of Happiness was created by the UN and even has its own website(11). If your brand or business provides wellness or health-related products or services, you might want to run a campaign tying into International Day of Happiness. Regardless of your sector, it could be a good time to run a discount campaign—after all, discounts make people happy!

Adobe Summit: The Digital Experience Conference - March 26th-28th. Las Vegas, USA (and online)

This major event(12) promises to help entrepreneurs and digital experience pros expand their skill sets, build connections, and create better customer experiences. The many sessions and speakers (from multinational brands like Nike, Walmart, and GM) will explore topics like personalized omnichannel engagements and analytics for customer journeys.

Easter - March 29th - 31st

Web traffic and revenue numbers show that Easter is a prime retail period. In 2024, Good Friday is on 29th March and Easter Sunday falls on March 31st. Online spending rises in the lead-up to the Easter holiday as many look for gifts to send to loved ones. It will be a particularly busy period for those selling chocolate goodies!

APRIL

Eid al-Fitr - Wednesday April 10th

As the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close, the festival of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long period of fasting and prayer. During this festive event, Muslim families and friends come together to exchange gifts, share meals, and express gratitude for the blessings in their lives. For e-commerce companies, demand for gifts is likely to be higher before and during this period.

Global Digital Transformation & Customer Experience Summit - April 10th-12th, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (and online)

Attendees will learn from over 40 expert speakers(13) about the latest tech innovations including artificial intelligence and automation—enabling the delivery of first-class experiences to customers.

Manchester eCommerce Summit - April 17th, Manchester, UK

The Manchester eCommerce Summit(14) is a one-day, in-person event that brings together local eCommerce experts, decision-makers, retailers, brands, merchants, and solution providers for networking and education in Manchester.

Earth Day - April 22nd

Earth Day is a chance for your business to showcase its commitment to environmental consciousness and sustainability. Earth Day 2024(15) focuses on reducing plastic use across the world. Are you doing your bit to use less plastic in your business? If so, today is the day to shout about it.

MAY

eComm Live Conference - May 1st-2nd, Belfast, UK

Join eComm Live 2024(16), Ireland's top eCommerce event, featuring 50+ speakers from leading brands such as Ryanair and TikTok. Also features training courses and networking sessions.

Mother’s Day (USA) Sunday - May 12th

Mother's Day again, but this time in the US. It’s a significant retail holiday where consumers search for ideal gifts to show appreciation to their mothers. Common gifts include chocolate, flowers, clothing, and various gift items.

eTail Asia - May 14th-16th, Singapore

Described as Asia’s premier e-commerce and digital marketing retail summit(17), attendees will be able to collaborate with the industry’s biggest decision-makers on topics like navigating inflation and delivering truly personalized customer experiences. Find out more.

Sellers Summit 2024 - May 14th – 16th, Florida, US

More like an intense 3-day e-commerce workshop, this event(18) claims to be “the ultimate learning conference for e-commerce brands.” It promises to teach budding online entrepreneurs the latest growth strategies for business success.

JUNE

Pride Month

Show your inclusivity and support by incorporating Pride-themed promotions and products into your e-commerce strategy.

World Environment Day - June 5th

If your brand is environmentally conscious, the World Environment Day(19) is a fitting time to promote eco-friendly products.

Father’s Day (US and UK) - June 16th

Father's Day, a global celebration of fathers and father figures, offers e-commerce opportunities like curated gift ideas, special promotions, personalization, digital gift cards, content marketing, email campaigns, mobile shopping, efficient shipping, cross-selling, and social media engagement. Bear in mind that some of your customers may not want to be reminded of Father’s Day—it can be a sensitive time for many.

JULY

Amazon Prime Day - TBC

Exact dates are still to be confirmed, but Amazon Prime Day in 2023 was July 11th and 12th. The two-day sales bonanza attracts bargain hunters from across the world, making it an opportunity for sellers on the platform to shift stock ahead of a refresh for the Christmas season.

AUGUST

Black Business Month (US)

This month-long event acknowledges and celebrates black-owned businesses across the US as they continue to strive for diversity and equality. Show your support however you can.

SEPTEMBER

eCommerce Expo at the ExCeL 18th – 19th - September, London, UK

Held alongside the Technology for Marketing event, eCommerce Expo(20) will feature over 10,000 retailers and 300 industry-leading solution providers. Guest speakers will cover topics including marketing, omnichannel retail, and customer experience. eCommerce Expo is free to attend for retailers and brands. Plan your visit at eCommerce Expo(21)

OCTOBER

Fall

The leaves are turning orange and pumpkin spice lattes are on order. It's time to plan for the end-of-year peak sales period with Black Friday and Christmas rapidly approaching.

Halloween - October 31st

The spookiest day of the year gives fancy dress, candy and décor businesses their moment to shine. Join in the fun with some themed social media posts.

NOVEMBER

Singles’ Day - November 11

Singles' Day has become one of the world’s biggest shopping days that should be on every e-commerce calendar. Originally a celebration of single status among Chinese university students, has evolved into a massive global shopping event by Alibaba in 2009. It is reported that in 2021, that there were over 900 million shoppers in this period—roughly 11% of the world's population.

Seamless Payments Expo - November 17th-19th, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

With 25,000 attendees and over 350 speakers, Seamless(22) is the largest event in Saudi Arabia covering fintech, retail, e-commerce, delivery, digital marketing innovations.

Small Business Saturday (US) - November 25th

Today is the day to proudly wave your small business flag! American Express initiated the Small Business Saturday holiday back in 2010, with the aim of encouraging consumers to support local businesses.

Customer Engagement Summit - November 28th, London, UK

Europe's largest customer engagement event(23) is just around the corner. The event's theme revolves around the importance of human-centricity in creating a sense of belonging for customers. Renowned experts will be sharing insights and discussing the latest trends and advancements in the field of customer experience.

Black Friday - November 29th

The previously US-focused sales day has evolved into a global phenomenon. Customers across the world will be heading online ready to spend, spend, spend, so be prepared. And don’t forget Cyber Monday on the 2nd of December—a great chance to sell some final stock.

Small Business Saturday (UK) - November 30th

UK small businesses also have their own day to shine: Small Business Saturday. Held on the last Saturday of November, this grassroots campaign encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses.

DECEMBER

Cyber Monday - December 2nd

Seen as a counterpart to Black Friday, Cyber Monday is an annual online shopping event that takes place on the Monday following Thanksgiving in the United States. It is primarily focused on online sales and provides substantial discounts and deals from retailers and e-commerce websites.

Christmas Day - December 25th

The end of the year marks your final opportunity to make significant sales. As Santa would say, preparation is crucial—there's no such thing as being too early. We wish you a joyful and profitable sales period!

New Year’s Eve - December 31st

The bubbly is being poured, people are feeling celebratory … jump in on the spirit by launching an end-of-season sale. It’s the perfect opportunity to shift any leftover Christmas stock ready for a fresh slate in 2025. We wish you a joyful and profitable sales period!

LOCAL HOLIDAYS

Selling internationally? Then you’ll want to know the key holidays in your destination country to ensure your business is prepared to cash in. Check out our dedicated Export Guides for valuable insights that will help you engage with local consumers.