Children’s Day without turning it into a clearance sale
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Children’s Day, October 12, is a gift occasion, not a discount occasion. Gift buyers want to choose well, receive it on time and solve things quickly. Price is the third criterion. If you offer 30% off in October, you reach November without margin for Black Friday and teach customers to wait for promotions. October sales come from selections, bundles, confirmed deadlines and service, keeping the margin for next month.
The date falls on a Monday in 2026 and is a national holiday, pushing online purchases toward the first week of the month. Businesses selling physical products for delivery need a defined, visible cutoff that accounts for the holiday: the last day an order can arrive before the 12th.
What can you sell without a discount?
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Gifts selected by you. Customers who do not know what to buy welcome help. Create three selections: by price range, such as “up to R$ 50,” “up to R$ 100” and “up to R$ 200”; by age; or by interest. Each selection is a page or store category with six to ten products, not 60.
Ready-made bundles. Combine two or three products that work together, gift-wrap them and charge the full combined price or slightly less. The guide to combos and bundles shows the calculation. Gift packaging and a message card as checkout options, for a small charge or free, are what customers in a hurry value most.
An educational toy store creates a selection “for ages 3 to 5, up to R$ 120” with eight items, two bundles of two products including gift packaging, and confirmed delivery by Saturday, October 10, for orders placed by October 5. No discount. Sales increase because choosing became easier, not because prices fell.
How do you avoid cannibalizing Black Friday?
Do not use crossed-out prices in October. “Was R$ 100, now R$ 80” on Children’s Day followed by another crossed-out price in November creates a confusing record of actual prices that Procon may question. The guide to reference prices explains what counts as an actual selling price.
Do not use October to consume inventory planned for November. Black Friday products are selected and purchased now; Children’s Day uses regular inventory. And do not exhaust your audience: people who received three offer messages in October ignore November’s message. One message for the occasion, with the selection, is enough.
| Children’s Day | Black Friday |
|---|---|
| Selections and bundles | Genuine discounts with limits |
| Full price | Crossed-out prices with a history |
| Regular inventory | Inventory purchased with a buffer |
| One message to the customer base | Advance notice and a campaign |
| Confirmed delivery deadline | Extended delivery deadline |
What does customer service need for the occasion?
A prepared answer to “will it arrive by the 12th?” with the cutoff by region. A prepared answer to “what do you recommend for a 7-year-old girl?” with the selection link. And extended hours the previous week, because many people shop after work.
Store pickup, if you have a physical location, helps last-minute customers: order by Friday, collect Saturday, no shipping charge. Put that on the selection page.
After the occasion, keep a record of buyers. Children’s Day customers buy again at Christmas, and your December message to them is the cheapest one there is. The guide to profit margin shows why that repeat purchase is worth more than the discount you did not offer.
What to do now
Create the three selections and one bundle this week, set the cutoff and write the two prepared answers. If you cannot separate October buyers to contact them in December, that is your next operational step. Describe your business; the diagnosis is on us: avilaops.com/jornada or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Does Children’s Day work for businesses that do not sell toys?
It works for clothing, shoes, books, food, experiences and family services. The criterion is “could this be a gift for a child or their parents?” If it can, the selection works.
When should I start promoting Children’s Day?
During the last week of September or the first week of October, with a clear cutoff. Promotion after October 5 only works for store pickup or local delivery.
Do I need discounts to compete with large stores?
No. You do not beat large stores on price; you win through curated choices, ready-made bundles and service that answers within minutes. Save discounts for November, with the numbers worked out.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
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