The most exciting and popular time of the year is around the corner. Holidays from Halloween to Christmas and New Year are the most profitable for businesses and are celebrated worldwide. For this reason, we share the most popular holidays in Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. Mark these dates in your business calendar so you don’t miss the potential to increase your international sales.
If you would also like to find out more tips to prepare your business for the holiday season, check out our blog, “6 Tips to Prepare Your E-commerce Store for Holiday Season.”
Holidays in Germany, Netherlands, and Poland
October
31st Halloween: Halloween is celebrated pretty much as in the US, with parties, festivals, pumpkin carving, and trick or treat. The difference is that it is not as big as in the US, but it is a time when brands can use it to promote their products with related Halloween themes and create new discount offers.
November
25th Black Friday: This US holiday, a particular time to buy products at discounted prices, has become popular in many places worldwide. Consumers in these European countries are used to these holidays. This is an excellent opportunity for US brands to take on these markets.
28th Cyber Monday: Cyber Monday is a popular time to find discounts and bundles from many online stores. For new brands that want to expand into these countries, it is the perfect time to get on the wagon and create brand awareness to enter any of these markets and start selling.
December
24th Christmas Eve: This day is celebrated with a traditional dinner with the family and the opening of presents. In Germany, families have traditional meals, for example, potato salad with sausages. Some people celebrate this day by decorating their homes and having ugly sweater parties; others attend church. It is an excellent time for US brands to market bundle products and Christmas-themed items, and they should prepare their online store so that their customers can receive their orders on time.
25th Christmas Day & 26th Second Christmas / St Stephen’s Day: These days are spent with family and friends, especially the ones you did not meet on Christmas Eve. They are more laid back to continue celebrating and relaxing.
31st New Year’s Eve: As in other Western countries, this day is celebrated with parties accompanied by their loved ones. It is the start of celebrating the year’s end and the start of a new one. After Christmas, your shop should be ready to promote the New Year with campaigns on how your products contribute to goals, aspirations, and new beginnings.
January
1st New Year’s Day: A day to relax. Most people stay at home or visit relatives to wish them a happy New Year.
In addition to the holidays mentioned, do not forget the following, which are specific to each country. And they are essential for brands to boost their sales this holiday season.
Germany
October
17th September – 3rd October Oktoberfest: A massive holiday for the Germans, where Bavarian culture is celebrated. The main things they do are the big Munich festival, wearing traditional Bavarian clothes, drinking beer, and eating traditional foods such as sausages and pretzels. Foreign brands focus on finding a way to connect their product with tradition and raise brand awareness. This is for brands to stay current and not miss out on the potential this holiday can have on sales.
3rd German Unity Day: It is a national day on which Germans celebrate the unification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. On this day, there are festivals with music and food, such as Independence Day in the US. In marketing, brands tend to create marketing storytelling campaigns around the subject to connect with consumers.
November
1st All Saints’ Day: This holiday used to be celebrated mainly regionally in the south and west, but today more parts of Germany celebrate it. This is the celebration of people who have died; families visit the graves of their loved ones with unique flowers and candles.
January
25th – 5th February Winter sales: This is a time for brands to prepare, as it is one of the biggest sales seasons for winter clothes, and to introduce new products related to the new year’s goals, such as travel goods, gym clothes, and contemporary fashion styles.
Netherlands
November
11th Sint-Maarten: This traditional holiday looks like Halloween, as children walk door-to-door singing songs and get candy in return. They also make lanterns and bonfire celebrations and parades in the main cities. This holiday is not as commercial as Halloween. However, you could use it to raise brand awareness by posting on social media and creating product offers.
December
5th Sinterklaas: This is a Dutch holiday that focuses primarily on children. Sinterklaas is a white, older man with a long white beard and hair, a red miter, and a red cloak. He rides a white horse and has many helpers, like Santa Claus. This day is celebrated with children leaving a shoe in front of the fireplace the day before, and on the fifth, children sing songs and open their gifts in the evening. Adults organize a fun night full of crafts, presents, and poems.
Brands should be aware that this is the time for children to receive their presents. It is therefore essential to have everything ready and advertise their products for this holiday, as it is an important time in the Netherlands and an excellent opportunity for brands to enter or grow their sales in this market.
27th start of Winter Sales: Right after Christmas, winter sales begin; this is a great time to prepare for the New Year and get all the old stock for sale.
January
The whole month of Winter Sales: Winter sales continue, and a time to market products related to New Year’s goals and expectations, such as travel, health and fitness, and a new look.
Poland
November
1st All Saints’ Day: This day to remember the relatives who died. On this day, Poles gather in cemeteries and take flowers and candles to their loved one’s graves. This is a holiday spent with family, remembering stories of the ones who have left this earth.
11th Independence Day: This day is celebrated like the Fourth of July in the US, with concerts, parades, fireworks, and parties. During this time, most shops are closed, and it is time for friends and family to enjoy themselves together and celebrate their Polish heritage.
January
2nd January till 13th February Winter Sales: Winter sales in Poland last up to February. During this time, brands have discounts and special offers on winter items, and as soon as January ends, it is a great time to prepare for the launch of new products for the New Year.
As the holidays get closer, it is the perfect time for your brand to expand its international footprint and have a higher chance of successfully entering. The holiday season after the pandemic is more special than ever, so it is even more profitable, as consumers look forward to buying unique gifts for their loved ones and themselves.
Do you want to know how to expand successfully and without hurtles into Europe? We are the answer. BorderGuru, as part of the Otto Group, can offer you a service called Marketplace Partners Solution that provides your business with all the tools your brand needs to enter the most famous European marketplaces, such as Otto, Zalando, About You, Bol and others.
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