If you haven’t started your marketing calendar yet, why not do a total makeover this coming year? Even with an entire shop full of interesting and useful merchandise, have you ever wondered why people don’t seem to flock to your shop?

It wouldn’t surprise me if one of your clients says it’s a tad boring to come in your store. You wouldn’t want that to happen again this year, right. With strategic planning and a great calendar of promotional events, the year 2008 would definitely have something extra to add to your retail business.

And mind you, we don’t mean just the usual markdown price cut you regularly have in the middle and last quarter of the year. We would like to see a specially planned marketing campaign this year. This means planning for several exciting events that would give your clients and customers the motivation to shop in your store on a regular basis.

Planning for your promotional campaign for your retail business starts with choosing the most suitable marketing collateral – from the more popular ones (i.e. brochures and catalogs) to the most cost effective (i.e. postcards and flyers). Whatever you choose be sure to have them fit your retail business, your target clients, as well as your goals.

Next, you start your marketing calendar which contains all your planned and actual events for the whole year. Try to coordinate your special events with the major holidays, retail trends, seasons, and other occasions that would help you create a more interesting retail plan. And don’t just stick with the national affairs; also include those events that are celebrated in your local community.

In addition, make sure that you schedule your marketing events 3-6 months in advance. So you won’t be pressured and stressed when it’s time to implement your plan.

Here are some of the major holidays and events celebrated in the U.S. , Canada and the United Kingdom to help you map out your marketing calendar for 2008:

January to March – New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl, Bank Holiday in the UK, and back-to-school; Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, President’s Day, Black History Month, Ground Hog Day; Easter, Passover, Academy Awards, Spring Fever, St. Patrick’s Day.

April to June – Baseball opening, April Fool’s Day, Tax Day, Earth Day, Prom Season; Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Victoria Day in Canada, Memorial Day; Flag Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Time, start of summer vacation, Wimbledon Opening.

July to September – Canada Day, Independence Day, Summer Break; Start of school, Tax-Free Sales; Labor Day, opening of NFL, Autumn.

October to December – Columbus Day, Red Ribbon Week, World Series, Book Month (October), Halloween; Election Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, start of Winter Sports; first of Winter, Christmas, end-of-year celebrations.