Short answer: the biggest 2027 retail email dates are Valentine’s Day (14 February), Mother’s Day in the US (9 May), Father’s Day (20 June), Black Friday (26 November), Cyber Monday (29 November) and Christmas (25 December). Start planning major campaigns about six weeks ahead, and send your last-shipping reminder before your carrier’s cutoff, not on the day itself.
Key 2027 dates
| Date | Event | Market | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Global | Clearance, “new year” themes |
| Sun 14 Feb | Valentine’s Day | Global | Gift guides from late January |
| Sun 7 Mar | Mothering Sunday | UK | Three weeks before Easter |
| Mon 8 Mar | International Women’s Day | Global | Brand stories, not discounts |
| Sun 28 Mar | Easter Sunday | Global | Western date |
| Sun 9 May | Mother’s Day | US | Second Sunday of May |
| Mon 31 May | Memorial Day | US | Long-weekend sales |
| Sun 20 Jun | Father’s Day | US/UK | Third Sunday of June |
| Sun 4 Jul | Independence Day | US | |
| Mon 6 Sep | Labor Day | US | End-of-summer sales |
| Sun 31 Oct | Halloween | Global | |
| Thu 11 Nov | Singles’ Day | Global | |
| Thu 25 Nov | Thanksgiving | US | Fourth Thursday of November |
| Fri 26 Nov | Black Friday | Global | |
| Sat 27 Nov | Small Business Saturday | US | |
| Mon 29 Nov | Cyber Monday | Global | |
| Mon 13 Dec | Green Monday | US | Second Monday of December |
| Sat 25 Dec | Christmas Day | Global | |
| Sun 26 Dec | Boxing Day | UK |
We calculated these dates from their fixed rules. Moon-based holidays such as Eid and Diwali aren’t listed because dates depend on local observance; confirm them closer to the time.
Plan backwards from the shipping cutoff
- Find your carrier’s last standard shipping date for the event.
- Your last-shipping reminder goes out one or two days before it.
- Your main campaign goes out a week or two before that.
- A teaser goes out a few days before the main campaign.
- Planning (offer, stock, creative) starts about six weeks out for big events.
Our free Ecommerce Email Calendar does this maths for every date above. Enter your lead time and shipping cutoff.
BFCM 2027 timeline
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Early October | Decide offers; check margins and stock |
| Mid October | Warm up engaged segments; clean the list |
| 1–12 November | Teasers and early access for VIPs |
| 22–25 November | Main campaign emails start |
| 26 November | Black Friday sends |
| 27–28 November | Weekend reminders to clickers who didn’t buy |
| 29 November | Cyber Monday sends |
| 30 Nov – early Dec | Extended or “last chance” emails, then shipping cutoff reminders |
Protect deliverability during peaks
Sending far more email than usual can hurt inbox placement. Ramp up volume gradually, send to engaged people first, and keep complaint rates low. Google’s sender guidelines say to keep spam rates below 0.3%. Read our deliverability guide.
A worked planning example: Mother’s Day (US) 2027
US Mother’s Day 2027 falls on Sunday 9 May. Suppose standard shipping takes 3–5 business days and you want orders delivered by Friday 7 May.
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Mon 5 Apr | Brief: products, offer (if any), creative, landing page |
| Mon 12 Apr | Gift guide page live; segment “bought gifts last year” |
| Tue 20 Apr | Email 1: gift guide |
| Tue 27 Apr | Email 2: best sellers and personalisation options |
| Fri 30 Apr | Email 3: standard shipping deadline reminder (order by Mon 3 May) |
| Tue 4 May | Email 4: express shipping deadline, or digital gift cards |
| Fri 7 May | Email 5: gift cards only, delivered instantly |
The deadline in emails 3 and 4 should come from your carrier’s real cutoff, with a day of buffer. Check carrier holiday schedules each year; they publish dates closer to each season.
Building your own calendar in a spreadsheet
- List the events that matter to your customers. Not every store needs Halloween or Singles’ Day.
- For each one, add a “last order date” column based on your slowest common shipping option.
- Work back 3–6 weeks for planning and 1–3 weeks for first sends.
- Mark “quiet weeks” with no promotions. These are good times for content emails, surveys or nothing at all.
- Add your own dates: store birthday, product launches, restocks and seasonal changes.
Our Ecommerce Email Calendar tool does the backward planning for you.
How many emails per event?
| Event size | Typical sends | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 4–7 over 2–3 weeks | Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Christmas |
| Medium | 2–4 over 1–2 weeks | Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day |
| Small | 1–2 | Labor Day sale, Halloween |
| Brand moments | 1 | Anniversary, new range |
These are starting points, not rules. Watch unsubscribes and spam complaints after each send; if they rise, cut back.
Plan for subscribers who aren’t buying gifts
A heavy gift calendar can feel irrelevant to people who buy for themselves. Two simple options:
- Exclude people who’ve said they don’t want, for example, Mother’s Day emails. Some brands offer an opt-out link ahead of sensitive dates; it’s a thoughtful touch.
- Send self-purchase angles alongside gift angles: “treat yourself” versions of the same products.
Edge cases
- International lists: Mother’s Day falls on different dates in the UK, US and many other countries. Segment by country before sending date-specific emails.
- Moon-based holidays: Ramadan, Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year move each year. Confirm dates from an official or community calendar a few months ahead.
- Stock limits: if a product may sell out, plan a substitute email in advance.
- Postal strikes and weather: have a gift card email ready as a fallback.
- Time zones: “ends at midnight” should say which midnight.
A simple template for every campaign brief
- Event and date
- Last order date (by shipping method)
- Audience and exclusions
- Offer (or “no offer”)
- Emails with send dates and subject ideas
- Landing page URL
- Success measure (orders, revenue per recipient, or clicks)
Filling this in once per event takes ten minutes and prevents most last-minute mistakes.
Content ideas for quiet weeks
Not every email needs a sale. Quiet weeks are a good time for:
- Care guides and how-to content for best sellers.
- A behind-the-scenes look at how a product is made or packed.
- Customer questions answered (real ones from your inbox).
- A “what’s new” round-up of restocks and small improvements.
- A short survey asking what people would like to see next.
These emails tend to get fewer unsubscribes and help keep your list engaged before the busy seasons.
Calendar checklist
- Dates confirmed for your target countries.
- Shipping cutoffs checked with your carriers for the season.
- Stock and supplier lead times confirmed for key products.
- Landing pages built and tested before the first email.
- Exclusions set for recent purchasers and opted-out subscribers.
- Gift card fallback email ready.
- Time zones stated in every deadline.
Related
- Abandoned cart emails: expect more abandoned carts during sales.
- Welcome email series: new subscribers join before big sales.
Frequently asked questions
How many promotional emails is too many during Black Friday?
There’s no fixed number. Watch unsubscribe and spam complaint rates after each send, and send the most emails to your most engaged subscribers only.
When should I start planning Black Friday 2027?
Many stores start in late September or early October: confirm offers and stock first, then creative, then build and test emails during early November.
When is Black Friday 2027?
Friday 26 November 2027, the day after US Thanksgiving (Thursday 25 November).
When is Cyber Monday 2027?
Monday 29 November 2027.
How early should I plan holiday email campaigns?
About six weeks before major events, and earlier for Black Friday if you need extra stock.