8 Summer Sale Ideas for Your Online Shop

Running your own online shop isn’t easy… and generating demand for your custom products can be even harder. Whether you sell custom patches, custom pins, wholesale boutique items, or a mix of many types of products, you want to keep sales flowing all year long… not just during the winter holidays! 

If you’ve found your numbers start to drop recently, it may be time to change things up and build excitement around your shop again. And with warmer weather, no school, and summer vacays to look forward to, it’s a great time to get creative and shake things up in your business. One way to do that is by creating new custom products to sell, such as custom hats that are perfect for summer or custom sports socks made especially for outdoor activities.

Another tried-and-true way to generate new and returning customer interest in your shop is by running a few fun sales in your online store! While it’s true that running too many sales in a row can have the adverse effect of making your customers less likely to purchase full-price products, running a sale every once in a while can help you drive more purchases, reach new customers, and clear your shelves of inventory that’s been there for too long. Plus, your regular customers will definitely appreciate the chance to save a little extra cash!

No need to discount your products like crazy or do any complicated math… a basic, well-timed promotion is often all it takes to reinvigorate your shop and get your customers to hit that checkout button.

Here are 8 great summer sale ideas that could be a game-changer for your online shop this season! Some of them are tied to specific summer holidays, while others can be run at any time during the season. See how your customers respond to one or a few of them this summer.

1. End-of-season Clear-out Sale

Most people aren’t really looking to buy last season’s coats, pants, and warm winter sweaters as the weather starts to get warmer. (And if they are, they’re probably expecting a serious deal!) Do a little summer cleaning by examining old inventory and putting it on sale to make room for all of the fabulous summer and fall pieces you’re about to introduce. You could make all off-season products 20% off, or offer a BOGO discount to encourage multi-buys.

2. Sunshine Sale

Let the sunshine in! Choose a day early in the season to run a feel-good sale on select items that were made for sunshine – sunglasses, sunhats, sun-themed patches or pins, and more. You could offer bundle deals on multiple summer products or simply run a flash sale where you discount everything in your summer collection for one day only. (For a few great sunshine-themed custom product ideas, click here!)

3. Memorial Day Sale

Memorial Day marks both the unofficial start of summer and one of the very biggest sales weekends of the year. And with so many other companies running major Memorial Day sales, your customers might even expect it from you! Encourage your customers to spend their three-day weekend shopping in your store by running a promotion, whether you offer 10% off site-wide, run a few crazy doorbuster deals, or throw in a free gift like a custom patch or pin with every purchase. (For a few great Memorial Day custom product ideas, click here!)

4. BOGO Summer Staples Sale

The beginning of summer doesn’t just signal warmer weather – it also means many of your customers are stowing away their winter things and heading out to refresh their entire wardrobe. Help your customers update their closet for the hot months ahead by running a BOGO sale. (More clothes for your customers, larger-volume purchases for you… win-win!) 

You could run a BOGO sale on a select category, allowing your customers to buy one swimsuit and get another for free. Or you could create a dedicated summer collection and let your customers buy one piece and get another 50% off across multiple categories. You could even go a step further and allow your customers to get better deals the more they purchase… buy one, get one 50% off, buy two, get one free, buy three, get two free, etc!

5. First Day of Summer Sale

The official first day of summer is June 20, the Summer Solstice. Celebrate the longest, sunniest day of the year with a one-day-only sale! You could run a promotion that gives a nod to the date by offering 20% off select items or a bundle of custom patches or pins for $20. This is especially smart if you didn’t get the chance to run an earlier summer kick-off sale!

6. 4th of July Sale

The 4th of July isn’t just for family BBQs and firework shows… it’s also prime sales time! Market research shows that around 29% of Americans plan to purchase patriotic merchandise for the Fourth of July. Run a promotion on red, white, and blue products a week or so ahead of the fourth to give your customers time to stock up on the merchandise they’ll need to celebrate or run a sale the weekend of the 4th on other products. (For a few great 4th of July custom product ideas, click here!)

7. Father’s Day Sale

Fathers are notoriously tricky to shop for, but that doesn’t mean your customers should miss the chance to celebrate Dad! Make gift-giving easier on your customers by curating a selection of great Father’s Day gifts, like custom tie pins, custom socks, custom patches, and more. Run a sale discounting Father’s Day favorites for one weekend only ahead of the holiday. (For a few great Father’s Day custom product ideas, click here!)

8. Labor Day Sale

Labor Day is another major sales weekend for brick-and-mortar retail stores and eCommerce stores alike. Falling on the first Monday in September, Labor Day typically marks the end of the summer season, making it a great time to mark down select summer products or start focusing on merchandise for the upcoming fall season.