By: Kailey Emery, Director, Ad Sales Marketing
For most home improvement advertisers, seasonal planning traditionally revolves around two focal points: Spring and the holidays.
These key promotional windows consistently deliver some of the highest traffic in the home improvement category. With 88% of shoppers planning at least one spring home improvement project1 and Americans spending around $900 per person on the holidays each year2, brands routinely increase their media budgets to capture attention during these crucial moments. In fact, advertisers that increased investment with Orange Apron Media during Home Depot’s Spring Event saw an 18% overall performance lift compared to non-holiday periods3.
But seasonal peaks are only part of the story.
Home improvement doesn’t start and stop with the calendar. The most effective brands maintain a year-round presence, reaching customers whenever inspiration, necessity, or life’s milestones spark a project.
The Retail Moments You Can’t Miss
Key retail moments throughout the year drive shopper traffic and category demand, creating ideal times for brands to increase investment and reach shoppers as they plan and purchase. Yet, capturing this demand starts with knowing your customer and understanding what motivates your audience during each season.
Winter Refresh
The start of the year marks a shift from holiday spending to home resetting. As shoppers settle back into their routines, attention turns to organization, maintenance, and indoor improvements before spring arrives.
For brands, this is an opportunity to engage shoppers early, before competition intensifies during the busy spring season.
- Common projects include: garage organization and storage solutions, interior painting, flooring updates, lighting upgrades, smart home improvements, and home maintenance projects.
- Key shopping moments: New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day
Spring Projects
Spring remains the largest home improvement season of the year. Warmer weather prompts shoppers to kick off lawn care, landscaping, and outdoor living upgrades as they prepare to spend more time outside and complete large-scale projects.
For advertisers, this represents one of the year’s highest-intent opportunities to capture seasonal demand and long-term brand preference.
- Common projects include: lawn and garden, landscaping, outdoor furniture and entertaining spaces, deck and patio projects, exterior paint, power tools, and DIY projects.
- Key shopping moments: Spring Black Friday, Memorial Day, Father’s Day
Summer Completion & Seasonal Transition
Summer keeps the momentum going as shoppers complete existing projects and invest in their outdoor spaces. From patios and grills to pools and more, shoppers continue improving their homes throughout the season.
Anchored by major holiday milestones, Memorial Day, The Home Depot’s Red, White & Blue Event (Fourth of July), and Labor Day, summer offers key opportunities for brands to increase investment during high-traffic shopping periods centered around outdoor living and entertaining.
- Common projects include: grills and outdoor cooking, patios and outdoor furniture, pool maintenance, fencing, landscaping, and outdoor entertaining space renovation.
- Key shopping moments: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day
Holiday Hosting, Halloween, and Shopping Tentpoles
As temperatures cool, shoppers shift their attention indoors to refresh their spaces, prepare for holiday gatherings, and complete projects before the new year.
While Black Friday and Cyber Week remain critical retail moments for brands to stay visible and scale investment, Halloween at The Home Depot has emerged as another powerful driver of shopper engagement. Industry-wide, Halloween spend reached a record $13.1 billion in 20254.
Driven by viral flagship products like the 12-foot Skeleton (“Skelly”), early merchandise drops, and a passionate community, consumer excitement for Halloween now begins well before October and drives weeks of sustained digital engagement and foot traffic.
- Key shopping moments: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Pre-Holiday Shopping, Black Friday, and Cyber Week
The Hidden Moments Where Intent Is Highest
While key seasonal events are essential, they capture only a fraction of the full home improvement journey. Many of the highest-intent moments are triggered by major life events that spark both planned and immediate shopping needs. By understanding these critical milestones, brands can deliver tailored messaging that connects with consumers at the exact moment purchase intent peaks.
Marriage
Nearly 76% of weddings take place between May and October5. Marriage often marks the beginning of a new household, whether couples are combining homes, renovating an existing home, purchasing their first home together, or creating a shared living space.
These milestones drive heavy demand across furniture, decor, appliances, storage, organization, and lighting as newlyweds make purchase decisions leading up to and following the big day.
Moving
Over 60% of annual household moves take place between May and September6, with June, July, and August being the busiest months. Moving is one of the strongest purchase triggers in home improvement.
New homeowners and renters make significant investments in moving supplies, paint, storage, appliances, tools, hardware, and decor shortly before and after move-in day. For most households, this elevated spending creates an extended shopping window that reaches far beyond a single weekend promotion.
Major Renovations
Summer isn’t just a season for outdoor projects. It’s also a key planning period for larger home renovations. Many homeowners use vacations and time away from home to complete disruptive projects, including kitchen remodels, flooring installations, and bathroom updates.
For brands, this creates an opportunity to reach shoppers planning significant investments and Pros purchasing the materials needed to complete the job.
Building an Always-On Retail Media Strategy
The strongest retail media strategies don’t begin with a seasonal calendar. They begin with the customer.
By combining expected retail moments with the life moments that inspire home improvement, brands can invest more strategically, deliver more relevant messaging, and stay visible whenever demand emerges.
Because in home improvement, the biggest opportunities aren’t defined by a single season. They’re created by the moments that matter most to your customers.
Sources:
[1] Flipp
[2] NRF
[3] OAM Internal Data
[4] NRF
[5] The Knot
[6] Blueground
