Global ecommerce calendar 2025: Key shopping seasons for Japanese businesses

Keeping tabs on international shopping trends is important for Japanese e-commerce businesses looking to increase sales by capitalizing on the holiday shopping season. An effective ecommerce calendar is essential for tracking key holiday dates and preparing marketing materials for these peak periods. 

Aligning marketing strategies with international shopping peaks like Singles Day, Black Friday, and Amazon Prime Day sales can drive exceptional sales growth and make up a significant portion of a business’ yearly revenue. These international holidays create unique opportunities for Japanese businesses to connect with customers worldwide, expanding their market reach and boosting brand visibility during the festive season shopping and beyond.

Must-know ecommerce holidays for Japanese businesses 

Let's look ahead to some of this year’s key global shopping holidays and their potential impact on ecommerce business in Japan.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a day to honor mothers and maternal figures for their contributions and love. It's a time to show appreciation for everything they do.

• Date: May 11^th (Note: Exact dates may vary by region) 
• Where is it celebrated: Celebrated globally including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Online marketplaces and specialized e-commerce stores, as well as brick-and-mortar retailers, including department stores, and specialty gift shops, all see increased traffic during this time
• Popular products: Flowers, chocolates, jewelry, personalized gifts, experiences.

Father’s Day

Similarly, Father’s Day is celebrated largely on the third Sunday of June. Retailers tend to see a rise in searches for gifts for dads from mid-May. Unlike most of the globe, Australia and New Zealand celebrate Father’s Day on the first Sunday of September.

• Date: June 15^th (In the United States, Canada, and Japan. Other regions may vary.)
• Where is it celebrated: Celebrated globally including North and South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. 
• Popular products: Personalized gifts and experiences for men, homeware, leather goods and small luxury items. 

Mid-year sales

On top of holiday season promotions, several Latin American markets have been incorporating mid-year sales days into their e-commerce calendars. In 2022, Mexico generated about 23.2 billion Mexican pesos in online sales which attracted roughly 12 million new buyers. That same year, Argentina’s pulled off a successful mid-year shopping season worth about 42 billion Argentine pesos (Source: Statista, 2024). The spike in e-commerce sales events have recently also been spreading across the region, in countries including Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.

• Date: May-June
• Where is it celebrated: Latin America, especially Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.
• Popular products: Popular e-commerce goods such as electronics, toys and games, home appliances, beauty and skincare, and apparel.

Prime Day

Amazon’s Prime Day sales is the platform’s global shopping event offering exclusive deals to Prime members. This key event on the ecommerce marketing calendar drives substantial traffic to the Amazon platform, typically resulting in a 50% increase in traffic and a doubling of purchases per user².

• Date: July (Exact dates vary each year; check Amazon for updates) 
• Where is it celebrated: Primarily online on the Amazon platform in participating countries globally.
• Popular products: Electronics, home goods, fashion, beauty products, virtually any product category.

Back-to-school season

While not a specific holiday date, the Back-to-school season (August-September) is a significant retail period, particularly prominent in North America and Europe. This period sees increased consumer spending as families prepare for the new academic year.

• Date: August-September (varies by region) 
• Where is it celebrated: Primarily in North America and Europe, but also relevant in other regions. Both online and in physical stores see increased traffic. 
• Popular products: Stationery, backpacks, tech gadgets, apparel, shoes.

Singles’ Day

Singles’ Day is a massive global online shopping event originating in China. It's a key date on the ecommerce calendar for Japanese businesses targeting Asian markets.

• Date: November 11th 
• Where is it celebrated: Started in China but now a global phenomenon, particularly strong in Asian markets. Widespread deals and increased traffic on Asian ecommerce marketplaces like Taobao, Shopee, and Lazada.
• Popular products: A wide range of products, including electronics, fashion, beauty, and home goods. 

Black Friday

Black Friday is a global holiday season sale known for significant discounts and deals. 

• Date: November 28th 
• Where is it celebrated: Black Friday originated in the US but is now a global shopping event, including Japan. Ecommerce stores, third-party marketplaces as well as brick-and-mortar retailers all participate in this festive shopping season.
• Popular products: Electronics, apparel, home goods, appliances, and much more.

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday follows Black Friday on the ecommerce holiday calendar and focuses on online deals rather than omnichannel retail. 

• Date: December 1st 
• Where is it celebrated: Globally, with a strong online presence. Major global ecommerce platforms like Amazon and region-specific ecommerce platforms like Japan’s Rakuten, China’s Taobao, or Shopee in Southeast Asia all participate.
• Popular products: Mostly electronics, tech, gadgets, and home appliances.

Christmas

Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday focused on gift-giving and festive cheer. It's a mainstay holiday when it comes to festive season shopping.

• Date: December 25th 
• Where is it celebrated: Celebrated globally. Both online and in physical stores. 
• Popular products: Toys, electronics, apparel, home goods, gift baskets, experiences, and much more.

Year-end and winter sales

Year-end sales are holiday season sales featuring promotions and discounts offered at the end of the calendar year. On the ecommerce calendar, they often coincide with New Year's celebrations in certain regions, especially Europe and Southeast Asia.

• Date: December (and often continuing into January) 
• Where is it celebrated: Prevalent in many regions, especially Europe and Southeast Asia, often tied to New Year's celebrations. Both online and in physical stores. 
• Popular products: A wide variety, often including clearance items and seasonal products like winter fashion. 

Prepare for holiday season sales by engaging DHL Express for your peak season shipping

Planning and organization are key to maximizing your success during the holiday shopping season. For businesses in Japan, an ecommerce calendar is an invaluable tool to help prepare your marketing promotions, engage global customers, and optimize your sales strategies for peak shopping seasons.

Use this ecommerce calendar to start planning your promotions today and partner with DHL Express for reliable overseas shipping solutions to global customers outside of Japan. Create a business account with DHL Express today.