It’s time to prep for Afterpay Day. Here’s how…

Afterpay Day is a big deal – literally. Not only do shoppers love it, but it delivers a well-timed boost for businesses, too.

The next Afterpay Day runs from August 15-18, offering merchants an opportunity to drum up excitement and sales in between the end of the final year and Cyber Weekend.

To help you make the most of the upcoming Afterpay Day event, we’ve run the numbers on Afterpay Day March 2024 to find out how consumers shopped and spent – and what you can do to drive more sales.

Why Afterpay Day matters.

In March 2024, nearly one in four Afterpay customers shopped over the Afterpay Day weekend. Not only that, but they made 1.9 purchases each.

In other words, Afterpay Day is a major retail moment – and a straightforward way to capitalise on existing consumer excitement.

What shoppers snapped up.

Fashion and accessories were once again the top category during Afterpay Day in March 2024, followed by travel, experiences and electronics. However, categories such as beauty and cosmetics, footwear and sporting and outdoor recreation are growing fast, according to our data.

For small businesses, fashion, beauty, home and garden and health and wellness proved popular – although hardware, footwear and jewellery enjoyed a surge in sales in March 2024.

To find out exactly what consumers bought, check out the full Afterpay Unlocked report here. 

When consumers shopped.

When you’ll see the most customers depends on whether you’re an in-store merchant or an ecommerce retailer.

In March 2024, 37% of shoppers purchased in-store, and 63% online.

According to our data, in-store shoppers were most active between 12-3pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 3-6pm on Sunday. 

Online, retail rush hour was 9-12pm Thursday and Friday, 9am-3pm Saturday and 6-9pm Thursday and Sunday. 

Mark your diaries.

Afterpay Day begins on 15 August, but your preparation should begin well before that. For example, you should let us know as soon as possible whether you’re taking part (and submit your offer) so we can feature your Afterpay Day deal on Afterpay’s Shop Directory. 

The hype phase then begins on 5 August, and from then on, you can start amplifying your Afterpay Day promotion. 

The hype phase is a critical one, because without promotion and marketing, your customers may not know you’re taking part in Afterpay Day. Need help creating marketing assets like social media posts and website banners? We have everything you need, from templates to tools, right here. 

A final tip? Craft a compelling offer.

A successful Afterpay Day sale starts with an offer your customers can’t refuse. Over the years, a percentage discount (say, 20% off) has enticed the most shoppers, followed by a fixed-amount discount (say, $20 off).