How Print-on-Demand Sellers Can Make the Most of Valentine’s Day
Between love and a shopping frenzy: Valentine’s Day in the world of e-commerce
For a long time now, Valentine’s Day hasn’t just been a sales opportunity for the florist around the corner; it’s taking on more and more importance in e-commerce too. The day is tied to a strong emotional connection as well as a powerful urge to shop, and buyers are on the lookout for special, one-of-a-kind gifts for their partners.
Why does this day offer such big opportunities?
The advantage of print on demand lies in how flexible your product range is: it can be expanded without any risk. Unlike traditional retail, products are only made once an order comes in. That makes it especially appealing for print-on-demand sellers to add dedicated Valentine’s Day products to their range without taking on any risk. Good options include:
Personalised products
Personal, individual gifts are particularly popular. These days, many people don’t want to fall back on tried-and-tested classics like flowers or chocolates - they want to give something special instead.
Reworked bestsellers
Another option is to adapt designs that are already selling very well for Valentine’s Day and offer them in your shop as well.
Couple bundles
Bundles are also a perfect fit for Valentine’s Day. After all, many couples don’t just buy something for their partner; they also love to treat themselves together.
Not every suggestion is equally suited to every niche. Naturally, you need to weigh up how relevant Valentine’s Day is to your target audience and whether your niche even lends itself to the theme at all. In most cases, though, with a bit of creativity it’s perfectly possible to adapt Valentine’s Day to your own niche.
Why is Valentine’s Day so lucrative for print-on-demand sellers?
It’s the day for lovers, when practically every couple gives each other something - but usually only small tokens. The big gifts are saved for birthdays and Christmas. Valentine’s Day gifts are meant to be personal, original and heartfelt, perhaps a little practical too, but by no means expensive. So this day opens up plenty of opportunities for designs and products that go beyond the classic, slightly boring gift ideas like pink hearts and heart-shaped sweets. The occasion itself is, of course, also changing. The classics - flowers and chocolates - are still given as before, yet at the same time consumers are looking for new ways to celebrate the day. This shift is being driven by an influential, socially conscious younger generation. They want to use Valentine’s Day as a shared experience. Interestingly, Millennials and Generation Z tend to prefer gifts that aren’t overly romantic. They often think practically and, above all, in a very fun way - something that translates particularly well into the print-on-demand space.
How do you prepare your range?
Your best bet is to launch a time-limited campaign for Valentine’s Day gifts. Create a guide for your buyers. Men tend to give gifts on this occasion more often and in greater numbers than women, but they often run short on ideas. Offer them those ideas and pair them with small discounts. That could be free shipping or a coupon code, for example. One collection idea would be “Date Night”. These are gifts and other accessories that suit a romantic evening at home and are personalised at the same time - such as printed tealights. Other print-on-demand products that work well for Valentine’s Day include:
- T-shirts
- Beanies
- Mugs
- Beer steins
- Thermos flasks
- a cute bunny or teddy
- canvases and posters
You can personalise all of these products, add meaningful sayings and, of course, have a little heart printed here and there.
What should you keep in mind for your marketing?
Start by giving your shop and your social media channels a visual makeover for the Valentine’s Day season. Add banners that point to your special offers and create matching creatives for your socials.
Valentine’s Day is all about feelings, so let your advertising speak to your customers’ emotional side. Sell the feeling that comes with giving your products as a gift.
Launch an email campaign for your Valentine’s Day specials: make sure the subject line sparks curiosity and creates a sense of urgency to achieve a high open rate. Back the campaign up with pop-ups in your shop that highlight special offers or encourage more newsletter sign-ups.
As with other gift-giving occasions, on Valentine’s Day it’s important to state precise delivery times so customers feel confident their gift will arrive on time. It’s especially well received when you indicate the last order date for guaranteed on-time delivery, both in the shop itself and across your advertising channels.
Start early: even though many people buy a gift at the last minute on 14 February, the majority shop beforehand. What’s more, it’s mainly brick-and-mortar retail that benefits from last-minute shoppers, since there’s no time left to ship a gift. So plan your Valentine’s Day campaigns well in advance and capture all of the business.
Conclusion
The urge to shop on Valentine’s Day offers many sellers huge potential. Thanks to the simple, risk-free way print on demand lets you expand your range, these shops can tap into that potential more effectively. Special Valentine’s Day offers, such as couple bundles or reworked bestsellers, can drive strong sales here as well as plenty of joy for those in love. The younger generations in particular are looking for new, unique products - exactly what print-on-demand shops are especially well placed to provide.
The key is to plan your Valentine’s Day products and the accompanying marketing strategy in good time, so you can fully capitalise on the business right up to 14 February.