Christmas 2025 marketing for UK handmade soap and skincare businesses, suggestions, tips and ideas.

I know it feels early, but by September you should be well into planning out how you are going to manage Q4 and the lead up to Christmas. Many businesses will take more money in this quarter than the entire rest of the year - it is so important.

If you are thinking it is way to early for present buying just check out Google Trends. The following image shows the search term Christmas Present Ideas over the last 12 months.

You can see that searches have already begun in August 2025, and in line with 2024 it is likely they will steadily increase and peak during the second week of December. I remember that when I had four children at home, I started my Christmas shopping in September!! Everything was wrapped by 1 December, it was the only way I could function as December was always a busy month in other ways. Lots of your customers plan this way too, which is why September is the perfect moment to get your ducks in a row.

Where to Start With Christmas Planning For Your Handmade Business?

Products and positioning Decide on what you will be selling, if you are a soap maker the chances are you have already thought about this and I know many of you are already making your Christmas stock, but what will be your key focus?  Is it gift sets, a limited selection of seasonal products, letter box sets or is stocking your wholesale clients your priority? Then look at sub categories -  it could be teacher gifts, Secret Santa, for him, for her, for the dog or pricing ie £5 - £10 and £10 - £15 etc. These mirror the way most of us buy. If you have data of what did well last year - use it. Ring the changes and do more of the same. 

Short of time? Tweak What You Already Have.
A quick win is to rename and re label an existing blend for Christmas rather than inventing something new. It saves time, protects margins and keeps production simple. Or create Christmas gift sets with what you already have and add a festive twist to the label although you don't even need to do that.  Consider a gift wrap and message add on so customers can post direct to recipients. Letterbox friendly formats reduce missed deliveries and keep postage costs down.

Encourage decision making by giving your customer a reason to buy now.
We can't deny that competition is fierce in the gift market. We are all guilty of being indecisive when it comes to making a purchase and if someone doesn't buy from you when they first see a product they may not come back at all. It is well documented that one of the reasons we buy is FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and whilst I am not suggesting you beat your customers over the head with a stick and a buy now or miss out mentality, there are a couple of things you can do which will (gently) help them make a decision, and ensure you are not left with stock at the end of the season. 

1. Have Limited Edition product lines - once they are gone they are gone.
2. Have time limited pricing offers/bundles/discounts.
3. Offer a small free gift with purchases over X amount.

Know Your Numbers There is absolutely no point selling a lot of products if you are not making a profit. All you will do is end the year exhausted. Make sure you do the maths when creating offers, bundles, free postage etc. 

Website readiness

If you want to take advantage of SEO then now, (September), is the time to be putting the work in. Update with seasonal keywords, make sure your navigation is clear, add new seasonal collections, add sub categories to make shopping super easy, and, most important - make it easy for you customers to pay with multiple options.

While you are at it, ensure your postage and return policies are clear and if you have free post policy for orders over a certain amount, ensure that is clear too. Consider plug in apps to increase average order value, you have probably seen them - customers who bought x also liked y for example. You could also look at things like 'Featured Collections' or bundled items.

Photography (website and socials) and listings

If you’ve time for one small shoot, do it now. Swap out summer props for winter ones, think warm textures, twine, pine, wool, and a neutral backdrop. Capture a few flatlays plus one cosy lifestyle shot per hero product. Fifteen minutes of vertical video at the end will fuel product pages, Stories and Pinterest for weeks. My only caveat for website images is if you can't do it well then it is probably best to leave it. Nothing puts buyers off more than poor images that make your website look unprofessional,  especially in the current world of scammers. 

Markets and Events

You should have these booked in by now and hopefully ensured they are a good match for you, your brand and your availability. Much of the above could apply to in person events, have bundles, gift sets, consider special offers for that day only, have signs suggesting gift ideas for teachers, secret santa's etc. Make it easy for people to buy and have a lovely seasonal stall. Offer gift wrapping if you are good at it and will have room for a small additional fee. 

Marketing

PR, guides and collaborations Pitch now. Ask to be included in local online gift guides, parish magazines and community sites. Team up with a nearby deli, florist or farm shop for a co branded box or mini pop-up. National print works far in advance, but online editions and regional press are often open to December ideas. Use AI or Google to search for possible opportunities. 

Email Start light in September. A friendly 'what’s coming' note for subscribers, then at least 2 emails in October/November and weekly, if you can, in December.  It’s fine to be a little more salesy now because you’re helping your followers find thoughtful gifts in time.

If you prefer to avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday, say so. It is a good opportunity to let your followers and subscribers know, and also to talk about what you will be doing. Maybe bundles, free postage over X amount, limited editions. 

Paydays matter Many households buy after they get paid. Consider this in your marketing. Ideas include early bird shopping or pre orders in early October after September's wages,  payday suggestions near the end of each month, and one last reminder in early December. Keep it kind, useful and on brand. Unfortunately Black Friday falls on the 28th November this year and Cyber Monday is on the 1st December do so bear that in mind. Socials and emails tend to get lost in the abyss around this time. 

The December curve Demand often surges in the second week of December, then tails off as delivery cut offs kick in. Work backwards, decide your last order date, then plan socials and email activities in the diary so you’re not marketing items you can’t realistically dispatch in time. Do consider offering (electronic) gift cards for last minute purchasers. 

Posting and last order dates  Set your internal, last order date so you can deliver what you promise without crazy amount of stress. Royal Mail publishes last recommended posting dates each Christmas. The dates for 2025 are yet to be published at the time of writing this blog.

Overview I know there is a lot of information here and, there is also a host of other things you could be doing to boost sales, but unless you have a team behind you, it is not achievable. You do not have to do all of these, some will be more applicable than others depending on your business model. Pick a couple and do them well if that is all you can manage. 

I will be going in depth into quick, actionable tasks in a little more detail with Soap Suite members in our October evening Zoom call, and I will be available to support members in the community, but this is the thinking piece to get you started. If you are not already a Soap Suite member and would like to join, even if just for the next quarter, you can find out more information and how to sign up here.