Ace Hardware Wants DIY Procrastination to End on April 3

Mark your calendars: Home improvement retailer Ace Hardware is the latest brand to embrace unconventional holidays after announcing April 3, 2021 as "Some Day"—a day to stop procrastinating and dig into your DIY home improvement project. From National Promposal Day in March to National Avocado Day in July, there’s literally a day of observance now for everything. These lesser-known days often fill the gaps between more widely-observed holidays built into marketing calendars. That may be why they've been so popular in recent years with large and small brands alike, including My/Mochi on National Ice Cream Day and Dunkin’ on National Coffee Day. The question is: Are these niche holidays effective as marketing vehicles? Just in Time for National Coffee Day: a New Hard Cold Brew From Pabst Blue Ribbon ‘Some Day’ is the newest day on the block Ace certainly hopes so. The retailer is attempting to help end DIY procrastination by turning the "someday" into an actual day, April 3. Here, Some Day refers to the faraway, distant date that consumers plan for at-home projects—which usually never materializes. The brand is throwing in a few promotional offers to encourage participation, ranging from free babysitting search services from Sittercity to free paint samples and paint delivery from Benjamin Moore. According to a press release, Ace decided to create Some Day after the results of a February survey from market research company YouGov, which found 84% of more than 1,000 DIY painters surveyed had a room in their home they wanted to paint. But disappointingly, only 52% said they planned to paint someday. Finding time to paint was the top obstacle for paint projects for 44% of respondents, according to the survey. “Ace Hardware is right to tap into the ongoing consumer interest in home improvement, and they are probably onto something when it comes to addressing those projects that customers have likely been putting off,” said Sarah Marzano, senior principal at research firm Gartner. Indeed, Jeff Gooding, vp of marketing at Ace, predicts 2021 will be another big year for at-home projects. "Consumers spent more time in their homes than anyone could have imagined in the last year," he said. "While home, they invested time and effort to maintain and improve their homes." "For 2021, we don’t see customer needs changing much, as we have seen a continuation of high consumer demand to continue to maintain and improve their homes." Niche holidays can increase sales Experts say jumping on the national day bandwagon can be a great way to connect and engage with customers—and potentially even increase sales and brand awareness. “While promotions often aren't enough to convince shoppers to make completely unplanned purchases or change their behavior entirely, they can be compelling levers for convincing shoppers to pull the trigger on long-considered purchases sooner,” Marzano said. “Consumers often spend more when they do.” However, analysts note retailers like Ace have to do more than simply host a new holiday like Some Day. “Ace will need to make sure that their promotional pricing for this event is both distinct from other offerings on the market and stands out from the offers the retailer runs on a more regular basis,” Marzano added. Generally, brands should choose promotion types that both drive conversion and align with specific business goals, like using a buy-more-save-more strategy to encourage bigger basket sizes, she noted. In addition, the messaging around a specific day must be compelling and timely. “If the promotional deals are only available on that specific day, that can create a sense of urgency, but they run the risk of customers not having time to make it to a store or simply forgetting to make a purchase online,” Marzano added. For Centennial, Lowe’s Funds 100 Community Projects Across the US