Valentine’s Day arrives this Friday! Retailers all over Canada are well aware that the annual celebration of love is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. In fact, the Retail Council of Canada Valentine’s Day 2025 Shopping in Canada Survey found that Canadians planning to celebrate the special occasion are willing to spend the same or more compared to last year.
“An increase in last-minute shopping trips was also noted, alongside a rise in dedicated shopping trips, at 56 per cent compared to last year’s 51 per cent,” reports Aqeel Shahid Ullah for The Medium. Therefore, if you’re an online retailer, now is the time to optimize your e-commerce strategy. What are your plans to grow love for your online store before Valentine’s Day?
Let lovers save by offering special deals.
No matter the time of year, shoppers are always intrigued by discounts. To grow traffic to your site, offer buy-one-get-one (BOGO) promotions on Valentine’s Day gifts. You might want to consider bundling popular products together. For example, you can combine chocolates with greeting cards or flowers and scented candles. Offer this bundle at a discounted price. As well, use countdown timers on your website to create urgency and encourage faster purchases.
“The key to a successful sale is making sure your customers know about it and can easily find it,” notes Jayson DeMers of GoDaddy, “You can spread the love through personalized email marketing, social media ads, in-store signs, and more. A sale is an invitation for your customers to shop and save during the holiday, and it gives you the chance to gain new customers and strengthen your brand loyalty. Who wouldn't love that?”
Offer free and fast shipping.
With less than a week to go until the big day, last-minute shoppers will be looking for fast delivery options. If possible, provide free shipping on orders that are over a certain amount. This will encourage larger purchases. As well, promote express delivery options to cater to last-minute buyers. You may want to display shipping cut-off dates prominently to ensure customers order in time for Valentine’s Day.
“Free shipping boosts e-commerce business revenue,” insists Multivariants, “According to Comscore, 77% of shoppers checked the free shipping option before shopping, and 60% added items to their shopping cart to be eligible for free shipping.”
Spread love on social media.
It’s no secret that social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok can help you engage with potential customers. Utilize your accounts to excite your target audience. Run Valentine’s Day-themed contests, share gift ideas and promote exclusive discounts. Be sure to use Valentine’s Day hashtags like #ValentinesDayGifts, #GiftIdeas and #LoveIsInTheAir to increase your reach.
“You can even use hashtags on LinkedIn to further your reach, spread love this Valentine's Day, and participate in current trends!” writes Veronika Vebere of Sendible, “Facebook hashtags have also become a ‘thing’, and the platform is working on improving them continuously, so give one or two a try. And don't get us started on hashtags on TikTok, as they are one of the factors that actually impact its algorithm.”
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