Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a proud solo flyer, it’s hard to find something not to like about e-commerce on the day of love, a.k.a. Valentine’s Day. ❤️
This is a day when people all over the world share what’s in their hearts and pockets, creating an opportunity for online retailers to secure huge paydays. In the US, for example, e-commerce online spending was tipped to hit $22 billion in 2021 and across the pond, just 25% of British people said they weren’t planning to join in on the V-Day fun.
So, what’s the secret to Valentine’s Day selling success?
It all comes down to what you sell and how. We’ve curated some proven pointers to help you decide what to sell on Valentine’s Day, plus top tips to help position your store to win.
The scoop on Valentine’s Day selling
- Why it pays to think outside the box on Valentine’s Day
- What to Sell on Valentine’s Day: 6 product ideas shoppers won’t forget
- How to make your offers the next Valentine’s Day best-sellers
- The right way to do Valentine’s Day in e-commerce
Need extra cash flow to prep for big shopping days? SellersFi can help.
Beyond Dropshipping Chocolate: Why it pays to think outside the box on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a great time to flex your creative muscles and craft offers that’ll blow shoppers away. But sometimes, discovering what to sell on Valentine’s Day is easier said than done, especially if you’re feeling a little fried from the recent Q4 rush.
To get you motivated to explore new and creative product ideas, let’s zoom in on some of the reasons you need to really let your brand shine on Valentine’s Day:
Stand out from the crowd
From clothing stores to insurance brokers, the market is chock-full of brands trying to get a piece of the V-Day pie. To beat the competition in your niche, you’ll need something special up your sleeve. An eye-catching product that’s different from the rest can help you rise above the noise and boost your Valentine’s Day sales.
Reach new audiences
To keep fresh leads flowing through your store, it’s important to test new audiences. A great way to find profitable customer segments is to shake up your product line. This tactic really comes to life on days like Valentine’s Day, as shoppers are expecting newness. Plus, you’ll have more eyes on your latest creations than on a typical day. When your product offers are done correctly, you’ll not only have a bumper V-Day but you’ll also have new fans you can nurture sales relationships with later on.
Boost your store’s profitability
When your brand is one of only a few selling an item, you’re in the power seat. You can charge a premium, and with some clever marketing, claim the lion’s share of sales. With higher purchase volumes, you can also negotiate better rates with your suppliers, increasing your brand’s profit margins. But the best part is, you can use these profits to take the pressure off your cash flow as you prepare for future holidays like Mother’s Day and Easter.
Is your store’s growth keeping you up at night? Discover how SellersFi can help make scaling easy.
What to Sell on Valentine’s Day: 6 product ideas shoppers won’t forget
If you want to shake up your Valentine’s Day collection but are struggling to come up with head-turning offers, we’ve got you covered!
Let’s get into some product ideas and hacks you can use to wow shoppers and win more sales this Valentine’s Day:
1. Goodies with a personalized twist
Whether you sell robes or flowers, personalization goes a long way in making shoppers and their loved ones feel special. But you don’t have to stop at names and initials.
You can create a whole new vibe in your products by allowing customers to add with things like:
- Fun memories
- Inside jokes
- Favorite scents, colors, and fabrics
- What they love about their partner
2. Offer ‘lucky dip’ items
To add a surprise element to shoppers’ gifts, why not offer add-on ‘lucky dip’ products covering different genres like comedy and romance?
Tie this lucky dip in with the chance for buyers to win back their order if they share your brand on social media. Not only will this super fun ‘marketing hack’ increase your average order value, you’ll also keep the fun alive in your store to keep shoppers coming back.
3. Revive classic holiday offers with a Valentine’s Day twist
Want to ramp up excitement and sales for your Valentine’s Day drops?
Get some nostalgia going in your store. Put a romantic spin on top-performing offers and products from other holidays.
For example, if you have a popular Advent calendar, you could offer a Valentine’s Calendar stocked with treats. You could even step your Valentine’s Day calendar up by allowing shoppers to choose what they put inside it, using items from your store.
4. Keep the mood light with novelty gifts
Valentine’s Day may be for couples, but that’s not to say you can’t have a little fun.
Create products with funny slogans, jokes, or meanings centered around love and relationships for shoppers that prefer a giggle over serious gifts.
Also, don’t forget about your customers that are rocking the single life on Valentine’s Day. Create fun products to celebrate their status and shout them out on social media to win some extra sales.
5. Limited edition creations using your existing products
If you have a top-performing product, now is the time to create a Valentine’s Day variation to encourage your customers (and lurkers!) to buy.
For example:
- If you sell wine and spirits, you could infuse them with some select fruits to create a memorable product.
- If you have a pet store, why not create Valentine’s Day treats for your shoppers’ pets?
- Sell trainers? Create candy versions of your top-performing designs.
6. One-time bundles with related brands
Most of your Valentine’s Day customers will be paired up, so why not take a page out of their book?
Find a Valentine’s Day partner or influencer to create exclusive offers for your business.
For example, if you run an artificial floral shop, you could link up with a pottery and vase store to create jaw-dropping flower and plant displays.
Working with businesses that complement your products is not only good for your business, but it also helps your customers too.
When you partner up for exclusive offers, your shoppers can:
- Explore new products
- Save time on finding products to buy
- Save cash through promotional bundles
Now that you’ve got the creative juices flowing on what products and offers to sell on Valentine’s Day, it’s a good idea to brush up on how to promote your offerings in the run up to this important event.
How to make your offers the next Valentine’s Day best-sellers
Start early to create an exciting build-up
To build anticipation for your Valentine’s Day drops, it’s important to start your prep early so you have enough time to market your products and optimize your ad campaigns.
Here are some ways to get shoppers excited for your Valentine’s Day collection:
- Drop hints about your upcoming releases.
- Ask shoppers to guess what your next product will be.
- Spread the word with scroll-stopping content, competitions, and influencer campaigns on social media.
Create dropshipping relationships to ease cash demands 🤝🏼
While Valentine’s Day is a big money-maker, it can also be a huge cash drain. To avoid overstretching your cash flow, join up with dropshipping companies so you can carry more products without committing heaps of capital.
Stick to local providers to keep your shipping times short and don’t be afraid to ask retail and wholesale companies if they’d be willing to dropship items for your brand.
For example, if you want to start dropshipping cupcakes you could work with a local bakery to get goods to customers.
Show some love on your website and social media
To get shoppers excited about your Valentine’s Day gifts and promos, you’ll need to make your website and social channels reflect the upcoming extravaganza.
To really spread the love on social media, be sure to:
- Tweak your listings with red banners, hearts, and feel-good messages.
- Tie in updates with countdowns and polls to get shoppers engaged.
- Share sneak peeks of your products being made.
Provide shipping deadlines and meet them no matter what
Your buyers will be eager to impress their significant others on Valentine’s Day.
So it’s crucial that your shipping carriers remain in top form. You also want to make sure you inform shoppers on cut-off dates for customizations, order amendments, and anything else that might be needed to ensure on-time delivery.
And remember, fast and reliable carriers will be your store’s best friend during any peak shopping day or season. 📦
Communicate with your shippers to set expectations and send reminders to shoppers to ensure they remember to get their presents fast. Giving everyone a healthy ‘heads up’ will help avoid confusion and costly errors on both sides.
Get flexible e-commerce funding
Key events like Mother’s Day are around the corner. To support your Valentine’s Day sales while keeping enough cash on hand to prep for upcoming events, you may need to line up some extra cash flow.
Look for a flexible e-commerce funding provider to bring stability and a little extra wiggle room to your cash flow. For big events like Valentine’s Day, you could look at a working capital solution or revenue advance to access your incoming sales (regardless of Amazon’s rigid payout schedule).
The right way to do Valentine’s Day in e-commerce
Valentine’s Day is an exciting and profitable holiday for e-commerce brands. With the right setup, you can explode your brand’s sales and reach for long-lasting impact.
But like any big shopping day, prepping for V-Day takes work.
To avoid costs getting out of control and stay on track toward a healthy ROI this Valentine’s Day, you’ll need to be intentional about your products and offers. Partner with other established brands, test new offers and watch the clock to ensure your orders make it to customers in time.
Make these bold moves and you’ll have a store that stands out on Valentine’s Day with plenty of swoon-worthy results worth bragging about.
If cash flow concerns are holding your Valentine’s Day plans back, we’ve got good news. SellersFi can help you access fair and flexible working capital. Find out how.
