Galentine’s Day. You what?

Rapidly approaching on February the 13th, the day before that other famous made-up holiday, Galentine’s Day is the second or third best pop culture-influenced pretend holiday, after National Talk Like A Pirate Day (19th September) or Star Wars Day (May the 4th…). But, if you’re an online seller, it’s potentially a better day for you than either of those.

Why’s that?

Galentine’s Day isn’t just about all the single ladies; it’s a fast-growing cultural phenomenon of women celebrating women in a show of strength, independence, friendship and sisterhood, whether they’re single – or not. Normally, the day would be celebrated with brunches, girls’ nights in, pamper days or other in person meets, with small gifts or shared experiences exchanged. Given the current social restrictions, it’s looking highly likely that eCommerce will be a major facilitator of women looking to take advantage of this unofficial holiday to treat themselves, family and friends.

Where did it come from?

The term was coined ten years ago, by Leslie Knope – a character in the sitcom Parks and Recreation, played by Amy Poehler, with the line “Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style… Ladies celebrating ladies”. So you have the brilliant irony of a made-up holiday being created by a fictional character, yet one that continues to grow in traction each year. Pop culture transcending into real-world culture, a subversive parody of the traditional seasonal obsession with loved-up couples, normalising itself as a legitimate calendar event. A consumer-led trend, moving in on the traditional, corporate “Hallmark Holiday” of Valentine’s Day.

This year, as the first time it has fallen during a period of enforced social restrictions, it holds particular significance, allowing women, many of whom will not have had much contact with their closest friends over the last year, to show love from afar.

OK; so what does it mean for me as an online seller?

Because it means different things to different women, so too it means different things to different retailers. If you’re selling niche, female oriented gift products, shared experience packages, pamper packs, luxury food and drinks hampers, and can put together a meaningful proposition to help a woman treat herself, make her friends feel awesome, or have a fun-filled virtual girly night, then Galentine’s Day gives you not only a different angle on the traditional February couples-centric marketing noise, but the opportunity to make someone’s day.

If you’re already geared up for Valentine’s Day with “couples” gifts and treats, then you’re already on the right lines – Galentine’s Day is simply another occasion for showing love, albeit in a platonic fashion.

It’s definitely another date to add into your marketing calendar, if not for this year, then for the future, as its social traction continues to grow. It’s currently popular enough to be recognisable without being ubiquitous to the point of saturation, and is likely to become a huge market – so it’s a perfect time for smaller retailers to get involved.

Well-executed campaigns, thoughtful gift offerings and reliable fulfillment also present an opportunity for annually-recurring revenue for the savvy retailer, away from the super-competitive Valentine’s Day market; because not every woman will be in a relationship when February rolls round, but every woman has friends.

February 14th, Valentine’s Day is about romance. But February 13th, Galentine’s Day, is about celebrating ladyfriends. It’s wonderful, and it should be a national holiday.

Leslie Knope

Galentine’s Day is approaching fast – if you’re selling Galentine’s gifts, then timely delivery is of the essence. CollectPro can collect same day, with no minimum quantity, to ensure your customer orders enter the delivery network as fast as possible. With same day collection, Next Day delivery services are truly “next day”.

Why not get a quote and find out how much time and hassle you can save?