How can you utilize thanksgiving to boost your ecommerce sales by quickly building a thanksgiving theme landing page for your products, offer discounts and run marketing campaigns? But before that, did you know that there are 2 thanksgivings? Yes, an American thanksgiving is different from Canadian thanksgiving. This gives you 2 different opportunities for 2 different target audiences. So let’s find out what Canadian thanksgiving is all about and how you can utilize it for your Shopify ecommerce.

How is Canadian Thanksgiving Different from American Thanksgiving?

While Canadian and American Thanksgiving share similarities, they’re celebrated for different reasons and on different days. Canadian Thanksgiving is rooted in gratitude for a successful harvest and takes place on the second Monday of October (14th October 2024). In contrast, American Thanksgiving, held on the fourth Thursday of November, commemorates the Pilgrims’ first harvest in the New World.

The weather also plays a role. In Canada, Thanksgiving feels more like the end of autumn, while in the U.S., it marks the transition to winter. Additionally, Canadians tend to celebrate with smaller gatherings, making the holiday more family-centered compared to the often larger American feasts.

Canadian Thanksgiving Traditions

Canadian Thanksgiving has unique traditions that focus on celebrating the harvest season. Some popular activities include:

• Harvest Dinners: Turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie are staples in both countries, but Canadians often add regional delicacies, such as butter tarts and sweetbreads.
• Outdoor Activities: Thanksgiving in Canada coincides with the final weeks of pleasant fall weather, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities like apple picking and nature walks.
• Gratitude for the Harvest: The holiday serves as a time to express gratitude for a successful harvest season, which has historical importance in Canadian culture.

How Ecommerce Business Owners Can Utilize Canadian Thanksgiving to Boost Sales

Canadian Thanksgiving is a prime time for eCommerce businesses to capitalize on festive traditions and consumer spending habits. The holiday is centered around gratitude, family, and harvest celebrations, making it a perfect opportunity for themed campaigns, promotions, and special product launches. Here’s how you, as an eCommerce business owner, can leverage Canadian Thanksgiving to increase sales:

1. Tailor Your Products to the Season

Canadian Thanksgiving is all about the harvest season, which means products that align with autumn themes will naturally resonate with customers. Consider offering items such as:

• Fall-Themed Home Decor: Candles, wreaths, and table settings with harvest designs.
• Thanksgiving Dinner Accessories: Special cutlery, table linens, or seasonal kitchen gadgets.
• Gift Baskets: Create ready-to-order Thanksgiving-themed food or gift baskets, with local Canadian delicacies like maple syrup or regional wines.

These offerings can be bundled into special holiday collections, which encourages larger purchases.

2. Create Thanksgiving-Specific Marketing Campaigns

With Canadian Thanksgiving’s unique focus on gratitude and harvest, businesses can create marketing campaigns that tap into these values. Here are a few strategies:

• Gratitude Campaigns: Encourage customers to share what they’re thankful for this season on social media, using a hashtag unique to your store, such as #ThankfulWith[YourBrand]. Offer discounts or special prizes to participants.
• Limited-Time Offers: Run time-sensitive promotions with an autumn or Thanksgiving theme. For example, “Thanksgiving Harvest Sale” or “Fall into Savings.”
• Seasonal Discounts: Offer “Buy One, Gift One” deals to motivate customers to buy gifts for friends or family during Thanksgiving.

By creating a sense of urgency around your campaigns, you can motivate shoppers to act fast and capitalize on holiday sentiment.

3. Engage in Email Marketing & Social Media Promotion

Building a strong email marketing campaign is essential during the holiday season. Here are a few email ideas:

• Thanksgiving-Themed Newsletters: Use your newsletter to highlight Thanksgiving promotions, gift ideas, and special collections. Include catchy subject lines like “Fall into Savings for Thanksgiving!” to grab attention.
• Product Recommendations: Offer personalized product suggestions based on the customer’s purchase history. This can include special Thanksgiving bundles or seasonal products.
• Social Media Campaigns: Share engaging posts on social platforms about Canadian Thanksgiving traditions and your Thanksgiving products. Use targeted hashtags and popular reel trends to stay ahead of the competition.

4. Offer Gift Ideas for Canadian Thanksgiving

Canadians enjoy giving small tokens of appreciation to hosts or family members during Thanksgiving. Consider targeting specific buyer categories with relevant gift ideas:

• For Hosts: Promote home accessories, tableware, or special seasonal wines as perfect gifts for those hosting Thanksgiving dinner.
• For Family: Market cozy gifts like blankets, candles, or comfort food gift baskets.
• For Outdoor Lovers: Suggest items like autumn-themed apparel, picnic kits, or hiking gear for those looking to enjoy the last of fall’s pleasant weather.

Make sure to group these gifts into easy-to-navigate categories on your website, such as “Gifts for Thanksgiving Hosts” or “Thanksgiving Essentials.”

Read the following blog for thanksgiving gift ideas!

Canadian Thanksgiving Gift Ideas for Ecommerce

Thanksgiving gifts are an emerging trend, and your eCommerce store can cater to that. People love giving thoughtful, seasonal items. Here are some Canadian Thanksgiving gift ideas for various categories:

• Gourmet Food Baskets: Thanksgiving-themed baskets filled with maple syrup, jams, and baked goods are a great choice.
• Artisan Cheese & Wine: Elevate Thanksgiving dinners with regional cheese and wine pairings.
• Seasonal Tableware: Thanksgiving-themed plates, napkins, and centerpieces make ideal gifts for dinner hosts.
• Thanksgiving-Themed Candles & Blankets: Coziness is key in fall, and these items are perfect for the season.
• Autumn Wreaths: Wreaths adorned with fall leaves and harvest items can add festive decor to any home.

Canadian Thanksgiving Landing Page Designs for Shopify

Creating a landing page for Canadian Thanksgiving is easy with the right Shopify template and a well-planned design strategy. Here’s how you can set up a compelling Thanksgiving landing page for Shopify in just five minutes:

Choose a Shopify Template for Thanksgiving

Shopify offers numerous Thanksgiving Shopify templates designed for seasonal promotions. These templates often feature autumn colors, customizable sections, and layouts optimized for special events.

Design in Canva and Import with Canvify

For a more personalized touch, you can create your Thanksgiving website design in Canva. With Canva’s wide range of Thanksgiving templates, you can design everything from banners to product showcases. Once your design is complete, you can use Canvify to import it directly into Shopify. This seamless integration allows you to use your Canva designs with full functionality in Shopify, giving you creative freedom.

Learn how to import a Canva design to Shopify website.

Add Seasonal Elements

Use high-quality images of fall foliage, pumpkins, and Thanksgiving dinners to create a seasonal atmosphere on your website. Incorporate autumn-themed fonts and colors, such as warm oranges, deep reds, and browns.

Highlight Promotions

Dedicate sections of your landing page to spotlight Thanksgiving promotions and best-selling products. Use banners to emphasize any “limited-time offers” or “Thanksgiving bundles.”

Mobile Optimization

Ensure your Thanksgiving landing page is optimized for mobile viewing, as many shoppers will browse and make purchases from their phones. Fun fact, when you design in Canva, it is already best optimized for mobile phones.

Get some inspiration for your Thanksgiving landing page and design it in Canva today!

Conclusion

Canadian Thanksgiving presents a golden opportunity for eCommerce stores to drive traffic and increase sales. By using Shopify’s Thanksgiving templates and tools like Canvify, you can quickly design a seasonal landing page that showcases your products. Combined with a thoughtful marketing strategy, your store will be well-positioned to take advantage of this harvest-themed holiday.