Your Second-Half Commercial Calendar: Dates You Can't Afford to Ignore

The Cost of Winging It

Every year I see the same thing: September 1st rolls around and stores are just starting to think about Fiestas Patrias (Chile's national independence celebration, the biggest spending event of the Chilean calendar). November hits and Black Friday catches them without stock. December arrives and shipments don't make it in time.

After building campaigns for 30+ stores, I'll tell you straight: the difference between a campaign that sells and one that doesn't comes down to how many weeks ahead you started preparing.

This calendar isn't so you do something for every date. It's so you pick yours and show up ready.

August: The Month Nobody Takes Advantage Of

• Children's Day (second Sunday of August): if you sell toys, kids' clothing, or anything child-related, this date is yours. Competition is low compared to December, and parents do buy online.
• Back to school for the second semester: doesn't apply to every store, but if you sell school supplies, backpacks, or tech, there's a short window of opportunity.

Preparation: August is the month to get everything ready for September. Landing page, scheduled emails, stock confirmed with suppliers.

September: Fiestas Patrias

Chile's biggest national holiday — think of it as a week-long celebration of independence with barbecues, traditional food, and serious consumer spending.

• September 1–14: anticipation phase. Launch your campaign and start building excitement.
• September 15–17: final push. Last-minute shoppers buy here.
• September 18–19: the actual holidays. Sales dip, but not to zero. In-store pickup shines.
• September 20–30: post-celebration. Reactivation, clearance of seasonal stock, review requests.

What works: themed bundles, conditional free shipping, limited-edition products. In September, the customer wants to celebrate — they're not hunting for discounts.

October: The Calm Before the Storm

• Halloween (October 31): not every store can take advantage, but if you sell decorations, candy, costumes, or makeup, there's a market. It grows bigger in Chile every year.
• Mother's Day (in some Latin American countries): if you sell to markets beyond Chile, watch out for dates that differ by country.

Preparation: October is the month to plan Black Friday. Define which products, what discounts, what stock you need. If you wait until November, you've already lost.

November: The Heavy Artillery

• Black Friday (last Friday of November): it's no longer a day — it's a full week. Start the Monday before, at minimum.
• Cyber Monday (Monday after Black Friday): ideal for extending the campaign with different offers or extra discounts.
• End of month: many stores run a "last chance" on November 30 to capture undecided shoppers.

What works: real discounts (not marking up then discounting), early access for subscribers, date-exclusive bundles.

December: Christmas and Year-End

• December 1–15: main Christmas shopping phase. People buy early to guarantee delivery.
• December 15–20: shipping deadline. If you can't deliver before the 24th, you lose the sale.
• December 21–24: in-store pickup or digital gift cards only.
• December 26–31: post-Christmas. Clearance, exchanges, gift cards being redeemed.

How to Use This Calendar

Don't try to run a campaign for every date. Pick the 3–4 that best fit your product and your audience, and pour all your energy into those.

For each date you choose, mark three moments on your calendar:

1. 4 weeks before: define the offer, confirm stock, prepare creative assets.
2. 2 weeks before: build the landing page, schedule emails, activate paid ads.
3. 1 week before: check that everything works. Place a test order. Literally.

A calendar is useless if you look at it once and put it away. Stick it on your wall, pin it in your Notion, wherever you work. And every Monday, check what's coming up.