Why Are Seasonal Sales So Effective For Apparel E-Commerce?

6 Jul, 2023 By Samantha Warren 271 Views

We wish we had $1 for every 4th of July sale we’ve seen in the past week.

Seasonal sales are a big hit for online clothing stores, and that includes holidays like Independence Day that might not necessarily have anything to do with fashion.

Every year, stores offer discounts on apparel to mark special occasions—and the results are often a winning combination of increased sales and customer satisfaction.

Seasonality plays a major role in the world of fashion e-commerce. It’s fascinating how fashion trends are so tied to the seasons.

Some seasonal spikes in sales are obvious. As you probably know, Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring in major revenue for apparel brands. In 2022, holiday online retail sales in the U.S. amounted to nearly 240 billion dollars, with the most money spent on Cyber Monday. That’s a lot of cash!

But what motivates people to shop during seasonal sales? Today, we’re going to dive into the psychology behind it and explore some of the factors driving those big numbers.


fear of missing out

Fear of Missing Out

When seasonal sales are announced, people feel a sense of urgency to take advantage of the discounts before it’s too late. This is known as Fear of Missing Out—or FOMO for short. People don’t want to miss their chance for a good deal on something they need or really want.

60% of shoppers say that FOMO has influenced their buying decisions. Unsurprisingly, fashion e-commerce businesses leverage this powerful emotion for their sales.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say your brand is known for its t-shirts.

You could create a limited edition t-shirt collection featuring exclusive designs that will only be available for a short period of time.

Highlight the fact that once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. This creates a sense of urgency and the FOMO on owning a one-of-a-kind t-shirt.

By capitalizing on FOMO, you not only drive sales and create a sense of exclusivity, but you also engage your audience and build a community of t-shirt enthusiasts eagerly awaiting your next limited edition release.


anticipation of discounted prices

Anticipation Of Discounted Prices

Consumers not only anticipate the discounted prices, but also the excitement of finding products they like and setting their sights on a great deal. It’s no wonder that so many shoppers stay up late waiting for online sales to begin!

According to Yoast, most discounts work on the principle of urgency. The discounts are only available for a specific period of time, which drives customers to buy. Therefore, it’s best to run shorter promotions that will create excitement and lead to immediate purchase decisions.

For example, you could offer a 20% discount on select items for 24 hours only. This will create an urgency for customers to act fast and make a purchase.

But if you ran the same promotion for 6 weeks instead, it probably wouldn’t result in as many sales. Customers might think they have plenty of time to make a decision and may procrastinate on taking action.

People get FOMO about cost savings, too—not just the products themselves. If they don’t buy the product now, at the discounted price, they’re likely to miss out on saving some money.

You can create anticipation about your seasonal sales by sending emails and posting on social media to build excitement. Offer a preview of the products that will be available at discounted prices so customers have an idea of what to expect.


Apparel E-Commerce

Emotional Satisfaction

Customers often feel more motivated to buy when they know their purchase will be useful for the current season.

For example, during the 4th of July, many people like wearing patriotic designs or American colors. Offering discounts on these items during the June/early July season is a great way to drive sales.

But the e-commerce world takes this phenomenon even further. Online, people have access to a larger variety of products and styles. This means they can find items that are not only season-appropriate, but also tailored to their individual taste and style.

This personalization contributes to shoppers’ emotional satisfaction when they make a purchase. Being able to find something that fits not only the current season, but also their sense of style and personality is rewarding.

Seasonal sales are effective because they take advantage of the powerful emotions that drive consumer behavior. People feel an urgency to act fast, score discounted prices, and gain satisfaction when they acquire new apparel for a season or special event.

By understanding the psychology behind consumer behavior, you can create successful seasonal sales campaigns and maximize revenue.


Scrappy Apparel Offers Streamlined Solutions For Every Season

It’s no surprise that apparel e-commerce businesses continue to take part in seasonal sales—they bring in big numbers and make customers happy!

But how will you stay ahead of the competition without a fast and reliable process for producing garments?

Scrappy Apparel offers streamlined manufacturing and fulfillment solutions that empower apparel companies to scale up with ease. Here’s how we can help you:

Manufacturing Capabilities

Need 10,000 garments in just a few weeks? We can do it! Our proprietary Brand Building Process (BBP) minimizes production time while maintaining quality and accuracy.

We offer an array of custom apparel services that will help your brand stand out from the competition. For example:

Scrappy’s Retail Ready Screen Printing service is an advanced technique that unleashes creativity and ensures visually stunning prints for apparel. We can achieve photorealistic designs through simulated process screen printing, and we can overcome the size limitations of local print shops by using our large-format printing program called The Monster Print.

Our All Over Sublimation Printing offers the benefits of brand reinforcement and attention-grabbing designs, making a bold statement and enhancing brand visibility. By exploring our different fabric options such as fashion and sport blends, you can create comfortable and stylish apparel that aligns with your brand identity.

Fulfillment Capabilities

Our 3PL program will streamline your business operations. You can provide a seamless customer experience by outsourcing your fulfillment to us. One of the key advantages of our 3PL program is the ability to meet diverse client needs.

We understand that different industries have distinct requirements, and we customize our fulfillment services accordingly. From order management to inventory control and shipping logistics, we take care of the entire process so that you can focus on your core business activities.

By entrusting your fulfillment to us, you’ll experience significant time and cost savings. There’s no need for you to invest in warehousing, packaging, or shipping infrastructure.

We handle everything for you, ensuring efficient order processing and delivery. This allows you to use your resources wisely and allocate more time to growing your business.


Ready to Supercharge Your Manufacturing and Fulfillment Processes?

Our team at Scrappy Apparel is excited to offer you a fast, reliable, and cost-effective custom apparel solution that meets all your needs.

free quote

Define your style with custom apparel created exclusively for you.

Request Pricing Schedule A Call