> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/new-year-january-sale.md). # New Year / January Sale Covers New Year and January sale campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from the days after Christmas to the end of January. January is a fresh start for your shoppers. They're setting new routines, spending gift cards and gift money, and looking for deals after the holidays. Your list is also at its biggest after BFCM and December, so it's a good time to keep new subscribers engaged. This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best in January. ### Key dates and lead time * **27-31 December:** tease your January sale and remind shoppers about their gift cards * **1-2 January:** launch your New Year offer * **First two weeks of January:** your main sale and "new year, new routine" messages * **The last days of your sale:** last-chance reminders * **End of January:** a thank-you to new subscribers, then move on to Valentine's Day {% hint style="info" %} Schedule your New Year popup and first sends before the holidays, so everything goes live on time while your team is away. {% endhint %} ### Campaign send plan Five to six sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name or your support email (shown here as \[Support Email]). | Send | When | Goal | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | | 1. Sale teaser | 27-31 December | Build anticipation | | 2. New Year launch | 1-2 January | Open your sale | | 3. New year, new routine | First week of January | Show products that help a fresh start | | 4. Gift card reminder | Second week of January | Bring gift card holders back | | 5. Last chance | 1-2 days before your sale ends | Create urgency | | 6. Thank you | End of January | Welcome new subscribers into the year | #### Sample messages **1. Sale teaser** "\[Site Name]: Our January sale starts on \[date]. Subscribers get first access - watch this space!" **2. New Year launch** "\[Site Name]: Happy New Year! Our January sale is live: \[offer] until \[date]. Shop now: \[link]" **3. New year, new routine** "\[Site Name]: New year, new routine. Start it with our most-loved \[products]: \[link]" **4. Gift card reminder** "\[Site Name]: Got a gift card? Now's the time to use it - everything's on sale until \[date]. Questions about your gift card? Email \[Support Email]. \[link]" **5. Last chance** "\[Site Name]: Last chance! Our January sale ends \[tomorrow/tonight]. \[link]" **6. Thank you** "\[Site Name]: Thanks for joining us this season. Here's to a great year - we've got new things on the way. \[link]" #### Send tips * Many subscribers joined in November and December. Keep your sending steady in January so they don't feel flooded * Lead with the fresh start, not only the discount * Add a product image to your launch and new-routine sends * Schedule your sends in advance, especially over the holidays [How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md) [Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md) [Create SMS segments and lists](/sms/subscribers-and-lists/create-sms-segments-and-lists.md) ### Popup ideas Swap your Christmas popups for New Year ones as soon as the holidays end. Four directions to try: #### 1. January sale
A split popup with navy copy and a photo of lemons and vitamins, headed New year, new routine. 20% off, with an Unlock 20% off button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** Copy on one side, a bright, fresh photo on the other. A small outlined label ("New Year sale") and the offer in your accent colour make the deal easy to spot. Add the sale end date at the bottom. **Headlines to try:** * New year, new routine. \[20%] off. * Fresh start, fresh savings * Our January sale is on **Button text to try:** Unlock \[20%] off · Shop the sale #### 2. Gift with purchase
A cream card over a photo of skincare on soft fur, headed Fresh skin for a fresh year, offering a free travel-size cleanser over $40, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** A soft product photo fills the background, with the offer on a light card and a thin border. A free item protects your margins after the holiday discounts. **Headlines to try:** * Fresh \[skin] for a fresh year * Start the year with a gift * A free gift with every order over \[amount] **Button text to try:** Claim my free gift · Get my gift #### 3. First order of the year
A split popup with a flat lay of running clothes and trainers, headed 15% off your first order of the year, with a Get my 15% off button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** Product photo on one side, offer on the other. Tell shoppers what they'll get by text, for example a heads-up when new products land. **Headlines to try:** * \[15%] off your first order of the year * New year, new goals * Start the year with \[15%] off **Button text to try:** Get my \[15%] off · Count me in #### 4. Spend your gift card
A plum popup with a photo of candles and gift boxes and a small gift card, headed Got a gift card? Spend it here, with a Get $10 off button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** Speak to shoppers who got a gift card for the holidays. A small gift card graphic over your product photo makes the message clear at a glance. **Headlines to try:** * Got a gift card? Spend it here. * Make your gift card go further * Treat yourself this January **Button text to try:** Get \[$10] off · Shop the sale {% hint style="info" %} A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup. {% endhint %} [Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md) [Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md) [Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md) ### Discount ideas January shoppers are looking for deals, but many are also spending gift cards they already have. A clear sale plus a small extra for new subscribers works well. * **January sale:** a percentage off your whole store or one collection, with a clear end date * **Fresh-start bundles:** a set of products that go together, at a bundle price * **Gift with purchase:** a free mini, sample or extra item over a set order value * **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers * **Gift card extra:** a small fixed amount off on top of the sale for new subscribers * **Thank-you code:** a code for returning customers at the end of January #### Discount code ideas Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone. | Offer | Code ideas | | -------------------- | --------------------- | | January sale | NY20 · JAN20 · FRESH | | Fresh-start bundles | RESET · BUNDLE | | Gift with purchase | GIFT · BONUS | | First-order discount | NEW15 · START · HELLO | | Gift card extra | PLUS10 · TOPUP | | Thank-you code | THANKS · NY10 | {% hint style="info" %} For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, NEW15ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read. {% endhint %} [Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md) [Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md) ### Recart setup checklist 1. Create your January sale discount (and any extras), with start and end dates 2. Build your New Year popup and schedule it to start when your Christmas popup ends 3. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer 4. Remove any Christmas or shipping-deadline wording from your abandoned cart and checkout messages 5. Schedule your campaigns before the holidays 6. Send yourself test messages before anything goes live [Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md) [Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md) If you need help planning your New Year sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help! --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/new-year-january-sale.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.