Boxing Day email calendar.
Boxing Day, 26 December, is the traditional start of the post Christmas sales in the UK and parts of the Commonwealth. Send an early access email on Christmas evening, the main email on the morning, and a last chance before the sale rolls into January.
Key dates (UK)
- 2026: Saturday 26 December
- 2027: Sunday 26 December
Last reviewed 12 October 2026. Dates are calculated from the rule for the day, so they stay correct each year.
Why it matters.
Shoppers expect reductions, so the decision is how far to go and for how long. A defined sale with a firm end protects margin and keeps the January plan separate.
Because the day follows a busy period, shorter emails with a single clear offer are easier to read on a phone, which is where most opens happen.
Send plan.
1. 7 days before
Decide the offer, the product list and the end date.
2. Christmas evening
Send an early access email to VIPs and recent gift buyers.
3. 26 December, morning
Send the main email to the engaged list.
4. 28 December
Send a reminder to clickers who have not bought.
5. Final day
Send a last chance email and end the sale on time.
Before you send.
- Set the sale end date and test that the code expires.
- Refresh the catalogue feed after Christmas Eve stock changes.
- Identify full price December buyers and keep them out of the sale send.
- Prepare a mobile first design, since many opens happen on phones.
- Confirm customer service coverage during the sale.
Segments to use.
- VIPs for early access
- Customers who browsed but did not buy before Christmas
- People who received gift cards, if you can identify them
Subject line ideas.
- Early access, before the sale opens
- The sale starts now, here is the best of it
- Still here, but not for long
- Last day, this really is the end
More in the sale and promotion subject line library.
Common mistakes.
- Letting the sale drift into January with no plan
- Emailing recent full price buyers a discount straight after Christmas
- Not refreshing the catalogue feed after stock changes
This is a planning structure, not a promise of results. Your offer, stock, list and shipping options decide what is right, so test and adjust.
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