Holiday Planning Calendar

Print this page and keep these key dates in mind throughout the holiday selling season.

September

• Starting this month, eBay's new TV and online ads will reach millions of buyers. So make sure you’re doing everything you can to be ready by double-checking your stock, loading up on inventory, and ensuring your listings, titles, and keywords are all as accurate as possible.
• Finalize your holiday business strategy now—factor in your inventory, marketing, fulfillment and returns processes, customer service, staffing, and more.
• Check the new Fast ‘N Free report in your Seller Dashboard. See which of your listings qualify for the eBay Fast ‘N Free logo and how you can adjust your shipping and handling to get this sales-driving logo on more of your listings.

October

• List items for Halloween and holiday entertaining.
• October 31: Halloween

November

• Launch your Holiday promotions and bundles.
• November 22: Thanksgiving Day — launch Black Friday specials on Thanksgiving or earlier.
• November 23: Black Friday — the biggest retail shopping day of the year. Be ready to compete with your best deals.
• November 26: Cyber Monday — one of the busiest online shopping days of the year. Consider extending promotional events over several days.

December

• Now’s the time to consider adding expedited shipping to your listings to grab last-minute shoppers and extend your sales closer to the end of the holidays. Offer a free expedited option to really boost sales in these last weeks of holiday shopping. That also ensures the Fast ‘N Free logo appears on the listing for all U.S. buyers.
• Take a deep breath and run reports to monitor sales and customer service.
• December 17-22: Check with the carriers for last minute shipping schedules.
• December 8 (sunset)-16: Hanukkah
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa
• December 27: Help shoppers get what they really wanted. Offer discounts on unsold inventory.

January

• January 1: Offer great deals to attract post-holiday bargain hunters and buyers using eBay Gift Cards. Use Markdown Manager to easily manage promotions.