Afterpay Day: Tips and strategies to make the most of this big sale event

Afterpay Day is one of the big events on the retail sales calendar.

Twice a year, this four-day bonanza of great deals from big brands and smaller eCommerce retailers attracts millions of shoppers keen to snap up a bargain. At the 2024 August sale event, more than 4.3 million households participated. 600,000 customers shopped with a merchant for the first time.¹

It’s so popular, in fact, that it’s now the biggest sales event of the year for The Vow Sleepwear. As founder Maria Henderson says, “Our biggest event is definitely Afterpay Day, closely followed by our Boxing Day and End of Financial Year sales. Afterpay Day always creates a huge uplift in both traffic and conversions.”

The Afterpay Day sale is a great opportunity for you to promote that your business offers Afterpay as a payment option. Over half (51%) of Australians have used at least one form of buy now pay later service – with Afterpay by far the most popular.²

With the next 2025 Afterpay Day sale coming up from 14 – 17 August 2025, let’s take a look at how you can make the most of this massive event.

What do shoppers buy in the Afterpay Day sales?

Anything goes, but the top categories that shoppers were planning to purchase from in the March sale were:

• Clothing, footwear and accessories
• Electronics and tech
• Beauty, health and wellness
• Furniture and homewares¹

No matter what they’re shopping for, though, these shoppers are hunting for bargains.

How will customers find your Afterpay Day deals?

To help more customers find you, start promoting your deals ahead of the sale. This will capture all those customers who like to plan ahead.

Think about how you can reach shoppers via your website, socials, email and any other channels. During such a big sale event, when so many brands are competing for customers’ attention, you may need to work a little harder make your brand stand out.

The Vow Sleepwear starts teasing their Afterpay Day offers early, building anticipation on socials and via email. “A mix of channels works best for us. We use email campaigns, organic social posts and paid ads to create momentum. I also find that being the founder posting stories works wonders,” says Henderson.

“We usually see website traffic start to climb about one to two weeks before a sale and our email list grows faster in the lead-up. People are browsing and planning their purchases early.”

What types of Afterpay Day deals and discounts are shoppers looking for?

Afterpay has crunched the numbers and shared what types of offers get the most attention during the sale event. For merchants, percentage-off discounts (like 20% off) drive the most sales. According to Afterpay, this type of discount increases sales by 17%.¹

Henderson agrees. “Sitewide percentage-off offers – around 20-25% off – perform the best for us. We’ve also seen strong results when we include a free gift with purchase, especially something small but luxe like an eye mask or a complimentary upgrade to express shipping.”

Other offers that appeal to shoppers include:

• Free shipping (66% of shoppers want this)
• Buy-one-get-one-free offers (51%)
• Spend-and-save discounts (47%)
• Loyalty points (30%)¹
  

How do you participate in Afterpay Day?

For the August 2025 sale, you’ll need to submit your offers to Afterpay before Friday, 8 August. Once that’s done, your brand will show up on their site and app. It’s worth noting that one in four customers search the Afterpay App to find deals¹ making it a top way to reach shoppers.

What shipping strategies will optimise your Afterpay Day sale?

Creating a great delivery experience during the sale event will help encourage new and existing customers to come back again. Here are some ideas for impressing shoppers at this final touchpoint:

• Offer free shipping. It’s the number one thing that customers want from the delivery experience.³ And it could just help you convert those on-the-fence bargain hunters and last-minute shoppers during the Afterpay Day sale.
• Set up a free shipping threshold. If free shipping isn’t a site-wide offer, consider offering a free shipping threshold. This could entice your shoppers to add more to their cart.
• Offer next day delivery. Shoppers expect their deliveries faster than ever. Australia Post Metro and Express Post can help you meet this shifting demand and give you an edge.
• Offer delivery to a Collection Point. Collection Points, including Parcel Lockers, are a great option for customers who may not be able to receive their delivery at home.
• Communicate shipping times clearly. Your customers want to know an accurate estimate of when to expect their delivery. Encouraging them to download the AusPost app means they can track their own order in the most secure and accurate method.
• Offer a seamless returns process. When returns are simple, your customers can gain greater confidence in shopping with you.
  

Ready to embrace Afterpay Day?

With the August 2025 sale event fast approaching, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and creating attractive offers. As an added bonus, any shipping and logistics planning you do now will set you up for success with all the major sale events coming up in 2025. Take a look at our eCommerce calendar to see more sales.