International Women’s Day still has one undisputed symbol: flowers. According to ZEN.COM transaction data, flower shop activity on March 8 increases nearly fourfold compared to the previous day, with the average bouquet costing between €25 and €30. At the same time, sales in categories such as beauty, jewellery and fashion accelerate significantly, showing that the March shopping basket now extends beyond the traditional bouquet. The data indicates that International Women’s Day remains one of the strongest seasonal sales drivers in the first quarter of the year.
Last-minute bouquet
The highest traffic in flower shops occurs in the afternoon, peaking around 5 PM — confirming the typical retail pattern of purchases made after the workday ends. The average transaction value in flower shops on March 7–8 remains around €25–30, meaning that a symbolic gesture comes with a very tangible price.
Omnichannel in action: online plans, offline sells
The day before the holiday sees a rise in online orders, suggesting earlier planning. However, on March 8, physical purchases clearly dominate — often quick decisions made at the last minute.
“International Women’s Day perfectly illustrates how seasonal sales peaks work. Online channels support preparation, but on the day itself, availability ‘here and now’ is what matters most. Retailers must be ready for intense traffic in both channels simultaneously,” says Łukasz Neska, Chief Growth Officer at ZEN.COM.
From a retail and e-commerce perspective, this means demand is concentrated within a very narrow time window, requiring efficient logistics and strong product availability precisely during peak hours.
Not just flowers
The surge in shopping activity on March 8 is not limited to flower shops. Strong growth is also visible in drugstores and perfumeries, jewellery sales accelerate, and fashion and footwear record positive momentum as well. This suggests that the March sales peak spans multiple market segments and reflects a broader shift in basket structure.
Interestingly, in the SPA and wellness category, higher activity appears the day before International Women’s Day rather than on March 8 itself. In practice, this indicates a two-stage spending pattern: preparation first, celebration later. From a retail perspective, this confirms that the seasonal shopping impulse is multi-phased and affects different product categories at different times.
Short, intense and highly concentrated
ZEN.COM data paints a picture of a holiday with two dimensions: a traditional, quick flower purchase and rising activity across other retail segments. The March sales peak now spans multiple categories and sales channels, with direct implications for seasonal planning in both brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce.
