5th Saturday/Weekend Promotions:
Preparing for 5th Weekend in August 2025
Do you know that August of 2025 has five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays? It presents a prime opportunity to hold a weekend-long event.
You’ve written about 5th Saturday specials in the past, and I hadn’t thought of that before reading your suggestions. I’ve tried a few different 5th Saturday promos based on what I’m overstocked on, and always incentivizing higher AOVs. It’s gone over really well each time and I’m glad you put that occasion on my radar! ~Ceri
Note: You may have noticed Ceri’s comment on a recent Retail Details newsletter: Her comment reminds me that popular ideas are still new to others. I have received requests from new subscribers to explain or revisit the 5th Saturday topic, so as August approaches, now is a great time to plan. Part of today’s newsletter is from a previous post about 5th Saturdays to serve as a review and inspiration.
A little background:
I was first introduced to 5th Saturday promotions when I worked for a national department store chain. I was the director of staff development and my office was adjacent to the advertising team. This was back in the day when ad teams still mocked up ads by hand on drafting tables. It was a glorious thing to watch.
Fast forward to the 21st century, when I began noticing independent stores holding 5th Saturday promotions, mostly for VIP customers. The concept continues to be successful for many retailers. Many have tweaked it over the years to fit their business model. It’s not a new idea to many of you, but still a new notion for some.
Perhaps you are looking for fresh ideas for your current 5th Saturday promo or something special for the upcoming 5th weekend in August. Keep reading for links to see how several retailers approach the 5th Saturday promotion idea and some ideas for what to call the upcoming 5th weekend event, too!
So, what is a 5th Saturday Promotion? Each year, there are four or five months that have a 5th Saturday.