campaigns to calendar events, meanwhile, consumers are planning their purchases to the retail calendar.  Inside Retail spoke to Dr Jason Pallant, RMIT senior marketing lecturer, to unpack how retail became reliant on event-based sales and strategies to regain year-long stability. Big ups and downs “What we’ve seen with the cost-of-living inflation pressures for consumers, they’re getting a lot more selective on what we buy, and when we buy and how we buy it – so it’s getting harder for retailers to convince consumers to buy,” Pallant told Inside Retail. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and even Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour gave retailers a platform to market on and a date that consumers are excited to spend.  “Retailers are then trying to capture that share where there is that kind of guaranteed spending, rather than convincing consumers to spend at other times of the year,” said Pallant While this is timely marketing, an event-based calendar does present its own set of challenges. “You need to do a lot of deliveries, [leading to] delivery delays because everybody else is doing the same, and then other times, it’s really quiet because consumers have done the shopping at those events,” explained Pallant. “And the flow-on effect of that for retailers is then you’ve got these big ups and downs throughout the year of needing to have a lot of stock,” he added. While these pockets of economic stimulation are exciting for retail, relying on calendar-based events is not a reliable and sustainable year-long business plan. “We’re seeing a real leaning into a brand with the unique value they can provide to consumers outside of price – so things like different exclusive or rotating ranges, or different events that are really meaningful, just to that brand,” he concluded. One retailer that leans into its unique value proposition all year round and is still expecting to set records on Mother’s Day is online direct-to-consumer florist Lvly. Lvly all year round “As a flower delivery business, events like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day create a huge spike in demand for our product: The ritual of gifting flowers as a symbol of love and appreciation is as old as time,” Hannah Spilva, Lvly co-founder, told Inside Retail. Mother’s Day is akin to the grand finale of the flower industry according to Spilva as the Lvly team has to prepare for its biggest sales period of the year. “We’ve seen extremely strong growth in the last quarter and pre-sales for Sunday are trending ahead of where we thought they’d be, it’s fair to say Team Lvly will be very busy making mums smile this weekend,” said Spilva. But even the growing online flower retailer has evolved its business to create brand relevance 365 days a year. “Whilst everyone is feeling the pinch economically, I think we still try our best to treat our loved ones on special occasions or when they’re feeling a bit down. For Lvly that means we’re still seeing growth across all areas of our business,” stated Spilva. Based in Australia and with a presence in Singapore and Malaysia, Lvly spent a decade elevating and experimenting with its product range through exclusive collaborations and personal customisation – an addition that also pays dividends on calendar events. “Personalisation has continued to be a growth category for Lvly, already making up over 38 per cent of orders for Mother’s Day, up nearly 14 per cent on the previous year,” shared Spilva “We are continually adding new products to the range as well as launching exclusive collaborations to keep our offering fresh, relevant and on-trend.” It’s Lvly’s dedication to personalisation and customisation that has helped it stand out from competitors and ensure it continues to provide its consumers with variety, diversity and excitement. While Lvly caters to calendar events with special edition floral arrangements, its focus on personalisation allows consumers to find a bouquet for every personal occasion and celebration. “Lvly is a business born out of making people’s day and being there for all the moments of celebrations and support – from birthdays to anniversaries and new homes to new jobs, there are so many reasons to send flowers throughout the year,” said Spilva. “Whilst events like Mother’s Day certainly create a rush in orders, business is busy throughout the whole year,” she concluded.