After the spending frenzy of Christmas, you might expect wallets to snap firmly shut. But Q1 is far from a quiet season. From January Sales to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, the start of the year is packed with retail occasions that get people thinking about treats for themselves and for loved ones.  

That makes the first quarter of the year a golden opportunity for brands: a chance to connect with shoppers who are either indulging themselves, celebrating relationships, or showing appreciation for those who matter most. The key, as always, is to combine mental availability (being top-of-mind) with physical availability (being easy to find). Out of Home, with its unique blend of scale and retail proximity, is one of the few channels that can influence both the build-up and moment of purchase.

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‍From sales to sweet gestures

In our Retail Occasions series, we take a deep dive into how shoppers behave around key moments in the calendar. We spoke to 1,000 UK consumers to understand how they’re preparing for January Sales, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

January Sales remain one of the UK’s biggest occasions for self-indulgence, with 65% of adults planning to take part. From fashion and tech upgrades to travel, it’s a time when shoppers treat themselves and start the year fresh. Valentine’s Day follows quickly behind, worth an estimated £2.4bn in 2025. With 63% of adults planning to buy for the occasion, it’s no longer just about couples - it’s also friends, family and “Galentine’s” gatherings. Mother’s Day, meanwhile, saw spending reach £1.7bn in 2025, with two-thirds of UK adults buying something to celebrate this year, making it one of the most popular gifting moments in the calendar.

Together, these occasions bring billions in spend and act as powerful Category Entry Points - moments when people naturally turn to fashion, beauty, jewellery, fragrance, food, drink and experiences.

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Bricks beat clicks: Why stores still rule Q1

Shoppers continue to rely heavily on physical stores in the first quarter. What’s perhaps most surprising is that even in January sales - a moment often associated with online hunting - 75% say they intend to buy in-store. While categories like tech and travel are often thought of as online-focused, a meaningful portion of purchases still happens in-store. The reliance on stores is even stronger around the big gifting occasions: 86% of Valentine’s shoppers and 85% of Mother’s Day shoppers plan to purchase in-store.

Timing also varies across categories: for January sales, purchases are often considered weeks in advance, with many planning before Christmas, but plenty of shoppers are still researching and finalising decisions well into January. Valentine’s and Mother’s Day show a split - jewellery and beauty shoppers tend to plan a month out, but confectionery buying typically happens as late as the week before. To cut through, brands need to be present at key moments - building mental availability early and reinforcing physical availability as the occasion draws near. OOH plays a key role in this, from high-impact roadside formats to proximity placements in supermarkets and malls that capture attention right at the point of purchase.

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How to show up and stand out in Q1

To turn these retail occasions into lasting growth, brands can follow a three-step strategy:

• Build: At Bauer Media Outdoor, we reach 90% of UK adults every fortnight – including those important light buyers, who might not be frequent shoppers but are often swayed by timely, well-placed messaging. This scale makes us a powerful partner for building mental availability, helping brands stay front-of-mind throughout the build up to retail occasions.

• Reinforce: Our Bauer Media Outdoor proximity packages deliver messaging close to key retail locations, reinforcing physical availability just as shoppers are heading in-store or considering what to buy.

• Remind: Activate across Bauer Media Outdoor’s retail media networks to stay present at the moment of decision - helping shoppers choose your brand over competitors right at the shelf.
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New year, big opportunities

January Sales, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day aren’t just shopping occasions -they’re meaningful moments that act as powerful category entry points, shaping brand memory, influencing choice, and helping brands get picked.

The brands that plan ahead, stay visible, and show up consistently are the ones that capture both early planners and last-minute shoppers. Out of Home, with its broad reach and proximity to stores, supermarkets, and malls, plays a key role in making that visibility possible.

The new year is a perfect opportunity for brands, as shoppers set new habits, treat themselves, and celebrate the people who matter most.

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