2017 Retail Holiday Calendar

If you’re looking for a 2022 retail holiday calendar, we’ve got it as well.

Successful businesses around the world are waiting for holidays more eagerly than children for Christmas.

The thing is, it’s hard to keep all the US holidays and shopping seasons in your head, especially since many of them change dates every year. That’s why retail businesses around the world turn to retail holiday calendars or retail accounting calendar 4-4-5.

Let’s recap the holidays and special dates you and your business should watch out for in 2017. To make things easier for you, feel free to jump to any month you like.

To add a holiday notification to your Google Calendar, click Add to calendar next to a respective holiday.

Jump to:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

January

Ski season

January is home to not just one, but two jolly festivities: New Year’s Day and Chinese New Year. Then there’s also Martin Luther King Day.

Though not as holiday-heavy as some of the other months, January is a very important period for retailers to watch out for. People are eager to buy and wrap gifts.

1 January — New Year’s Day (Add to calendar)

16 January — Martin Luther King Day (Add to calendar)

28 January — Chinese New Year (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from January:

• Gyms really come to mind when it gets down to taking advantage of New Year’s Day. Over 12% of new gym members join in January alone.
• Asia-related industries can see a rise in sales during the Lunar New Year. The festivities include all of East Asia as well as some parts of Southeast Asia.

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February

Winter break

February is regarded as one of the most romantic months, thanks to being home to Valentine’s Day. This holiday overshadows the other two — Groundhog Day and President’s Day, though it still pays to keep them in mind.

Super Bowl, however, is hard to ignore. The annual championship of the National Football League is widely celebrated around the United States.

2 February — Groundhog Day (Add to calendar)

5 February — Super Bowl (Add to calendar)

14 February — Valentine’s Day (Add to calendar)

20 February — President’s Day (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from February:

• Sports stores and athletics retailers should expect a rise in foot traffic. Make sure to have those player jerseys in stock.
• What kind of Super Bowl is it without alcohol and snacks? Grocery stores and convenience shops should stock up on these items.
• Valentine’s Day means chocolates, candies, flowers and cards. If you sell any of those, make sure to prep for those lovey-dovey visitors.
• Gift cards are a favorite cop-out gift of all lazy boyfriends around the globe. If your venue offers gift cards, maybe these boyfriends will plan a visit.

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March

Spring cleanup

March is all about celebrating the coming of spring, in the form of the First Day of Spring. And as the nature celebrates its waking up, people worldwide gather into group to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Though initially an Irish holiday, it has recently turned into one of the most widely celebrated get-together holidays.

17 March — St. Patrick’s Day (Add to calendar)

20 March — First Day of Spring (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from March:

• It’s a huge month for the Irish. It’s also time for countless Americans to become Irish on this day — make sure to have green colors in stock. And if you’re a bar or an alcohol store, you’d best believe Guinness beer is aplenty.
• Home decor stores, it’s time to bring those life-filled goods to the front of the shops. Whether you want to start selling new linen or furniture, you’d better spring into action.
• Toy and gadget stores can expect to see an influx of pranksters, young and old, in preparation for April Fool’s Day.

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April

Thinking of nature

April kicks off with a wacky holiday — April Fool’s Day. This is a day of prank calls, made-up stories, and silly hijinks. Be sure not to be tricked into becoming an April’s Fool!

Other than that, April boasts two eco-conscious holidays — Earth Day and Arbor Day. Crank up the eco-friendliness of your business if you want to see more customers celebrating Mother Nature.

1 April — April Fool’s Day (Add to calendar)

14 April — Good Friday (Add to calendar)

16 April — Easter Sunday (Add to calendar)

22 April — Earth Day (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from April:

• Toy and gimmicky stores — your time has passed. Or has it? If you missed April Fool’s Day, you still have a chance to prep for May.
• Arts and crafts stores — have those coloring tools ready and make sure to have some kid-friendly, toxic-free colors for Easter.
• Is there even such thing as “too many eggs”? Stock up on as many as you can before Easter.
• Earth Day is something that all eco-conscious businesses can participate in. How? You can certainly think of some ways that fits your business.

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May

Mothers, memorials, and May the Forth

May is home to sentimental holidays, such as Memorial Day and Mother’s Day. These are the holidays of remembrance, when people turn their thoughts to others. Memorial Day marks the start of the unofficial summer season.

Another widely celebrated holiday to watch out for is Star Wars Day — May the Fourth. With the Star Wars franchise more alive than ever, this is not a holiday your business should ignore.

4 May — Star Wars Day (Add to calendar)

5 May — Cinco de Mayo (Add to calendar)

14 May — Mother’s Day (Add to calendar)

29 May — Memorial Day (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from May:

• Toys and gimmicky stores, comic book stores and Star Wars-dedicated shops: Star Wars is a huge culture phenomenon that millions adore.
• Cinemas, connect with your Star Wars fans by screening the classic movies. They’ll certainly be back for next year’s screening.
• All kinds of restaurants and bars can create special menu items for all the holidays in May.
• Speaking of bars, Cinco de Mayo is synonymous with alcohol. Expect sales to skyrocket on this day.
• Flower shops, nail salons, and any shops that target the female demographic can expect some great boost in appreciation for all the mothers out there.

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June

Dads and grads

June is a month of “dads and grads” — it celebrates Father’s Day as well as newly graduated students about to make an important step in their life. Sometimes these two quantities overlap.

Also, June is home to the First Day of Summer. So whereas unofficially the summer break falls on late May, the sixth month of the year officially kicks off a summer season.

14 June — Flag Day (Add to calendar)

18 June — Father’s Day (Add to calendar)

21 June — First Day of Summer (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from June:

• If you were sad in May because you don’t sell flowers, it’s OK. Your time starts now. Get ready for all the barbecues, drinking and long summer nights.

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July

Summer break

July is a time when summer blows in full force. There are so many activities to enjoy — swimming, picnics, barbecue. Speaking of barbecues, there’s Independence Day.

The only major holiday July is known for, Independence Day is an important day for all retailers. Be sure to stock up on cooking utilities and consumer fireworks in advance.

4 July — Independence Day (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from July:

• The 4th of July is the biggest grilling day of the year for Americans. So many things are sought after on this day: all kind of meats, buns, sauces, fireworks, alcohol, and of course, red, white and blue.

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August

Last taste of summer

August is a month that reminds us of finality. Not only does summer end, with many students in different states going to school, fiscal year also ends.

Last Saturday is one of the few days of notice which fall on August — but it’s by far one of the most important ones. This is an official end of your company’s fiscal year, and your accounting should definitely take it into account.

26 — Last Saturday (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from August:

• This may be a good time for all those end-of-the-summer specials. All kinds of discounts for swimwear, sunbathing goods, and random promotions. People will surely try to stretch out the summer as much as they can — and you should, too.
• Remember to prep for back-to-school specials.

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September

New season

September is a month of new beginnings, though it has a different feel to spring. Mother Nature is shedding its skin, nights become longer, and your new fiscal year begins.

Apart from that, September has two noticeable holidays — First Day of Fall and Labor Day. The latter marks the official end of the summer season. Say goodbye to summer!

2 September — A new fiscal year (Add to calendar)

4 September — Labor Day (Add to calendar)

20-22 September — Rosh Hashanah (Add to calendar)

22 September — First Day of Fall (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from September:

• Let’s finish the summer with a bang — Labor Day is a great way to end the summer with one last barbecue.
• September also marks the beginning for a lot of schools. Back-to-school specials are expected — No Child (Items) Left Behind!

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October

Trick or treat

October is a month of spooks, ghost stories, and kids in costumes trick-or-treating their neighbors. Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday, one that holds a special place in the hearts of not only kids but retailers across the globe.

October is also known for its less spooky holidays, such as Boss’s Day and Columbus Day. More than half a millennium back, Christopher Columbus first came to America, and his arrival is now celebrated as a national holiday.

9 October — Columbus Day (Add to calendar)

16 October — Boss’s Day (Add to calendar)

31 October — Halloween (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from October:

• Halloween is one of those events that people wait year-round to celebrate. Sorry Columbus, businesses care about spooks more than the discovery of America.
• Halloween specials means you are only limited by your imagination. Think about Pumpkin Spice Lattes — from its inception till 2013, Starbucks sold over 200 million cups.

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November

Movember

November is also known as Movember — a month where men can finally put their razors aside and stock up on beard-grooming products.

One the most important retail holidays, Black Friday, also happens in November. Black Friday is when your business is truly put to a test, so prepare your retail queuing practices accordingly.

7 November — Election Day (Add to calendar)

11 November — Veteran’s Day (Add to calendar)

23 November — Thanksgiving (Add to calendar)

24 November — Black Friday (Add to calendar)

25 November — Small Business Saturday (Add to calendar)

27 November — Cyber Monday (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from November:

• November is arguably one of the most difficult months of the year for most retailers.
• Thanksgiving is family time. It’s also the calm before the storm. Get those family-themed campaigns going and prep fast for Black Friday.
• People expect great discounts for Black Friday, and there are a lot of people who have intent to buy. Whether you have the availability or the discounts, keep your back straight and expect a hard-working month.
• Tech stores can expect an influx of traffic on Cyber Monday. All the techies wait until Black Friday is over for this special day.

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December

Holiday season

December is the mother of all holiday seasons. No other month can boast so many holidays! For the most part, these are semi-religious festivities, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.

Whatever the holiday, you can be sure that people will storm in to make last-minute purchases and take advantage of special deals and promotions.

6 December — St. Nicholas Day (Add to calendar)

11 December — Green Monday (Add to calendar)

12-20 December — Hanukkah (Add to calendar)

15 December — Free Shipping Day (Add to calendar)

21 December — First Day of Winter (Add to calendar)

23 December — Super Saturday (Add to calendar)

25 December — Christmas Day (Add to calendar)

31 December — New Year’s Eve (Add to calendar)

Businesses that benefit from December:

• Things are ramping up. In the past few years, there was an over 15% rise in sales in retail and food. Historically speaking, December is the best month for most businesses.
• December is the end of the year — and if people didn’t find what they were looking for during Black Friday, they’ll keep their eyes open for the end-of-the-year discounts.
• Whether it’s Hanukkah or Christmas, families get together and spend quality time. Every person older than five knows that it’s about not gifts but family time. Give families enough opportunities to enjoy their time together — and they will repay you in kind.

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