Holiday Email Preparation for E-Commerce: Month-by-Month Guide
A month-by-month guide to preparing your e-commerce email program for the holiday season, from summer through January.
Noah Kim
Email Marketing Specialist
The holiday season is the most critical period in e-commerce, with November and December accounting for 30–40% of annual revenue. Success starts with preparation in July.
July and August are for planning and infrastructure. Finalize your campaign calendar, audit automation workflows, and clean inactive subscribers. Summer preparation yields 25% higher holiday revenue.
“September is list building and segmentation. Launch growth campaigns and refine segments. Create VIP segments for your best customers who receive early access.
October is for testing. A/B test holiday subject lines, offers, and send times. Conduct a full deliverability audit. Send a holiday preview to your VIP segment.
November and December are execution months. Monitor performance daily. After the holidays, send a thank-you email. Post-holiday emails achieve 40% higher open rates than January promotions.
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