A Christmas and New Year sale plan on WhatsApp for Indian D2C brands

Diwali is done. Most D2C brands in India spend November catching their breath and then rush a Christmas sale together on 22 December.

That rush is the mistake. December is a good month to sell, especially gifting, skincare, fashion, home and food. But a sale planned on the 22nd usually means one blast message, a broken link and a lot of "stop sending me this".

Here is a calmer plan. Christmas and New Year are one window of about 18 days. Plan it once.

Who should get these messages?

People who said yes to hearing from you on WhatsApp. That means past buyers who opted in, people who joined a waitlist, or people who messaged you and agreed to updates.

This is not a small point. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy (read 26 October 2026) asks businesses to get opt in before they message people, and to respect requests to stop. I covered how to send at scale safely in WhatsApp broadcasts without getting banned.

Split your list into three groups before December.

• Bought in the last 90 days. Warmest. They know your quality.
• Bought before that. Need a reason to come back.
• Never bought, but opted in. Need trust more than a discount.

What does the 18 day plan look like?

Five to seven messages over 18 days, spread out. Each one has a single job.

What should the messages say?

Short, warm and clear. Here are three you can copy. Change the words in [brackets].

The early access message (15 December)

Hi [name], we are planning something special for Christmas at [brand]. Want early access before everyone else? Reply YES and we will send it to you on the 18th.

The reply is the point. People who reply YES open your sale message later, and a chat that they started is easier to keep warm.

The last delivery date message

Hi [name], quick heads up. Today is the last day to order if you want it delivered before 25 December in most cities. Here is the sale page: [link]. Reply if you want help choosing a gift.

Send this when the date is real, and never when it is not. Check with your courier. Fake urgency gets caught in December because buyers compare notes on gifting groups.

The thank you message (2 January)

Hi [name], thank you for ordering from us this season. Hope the [product] made someone happy. If you need anything, just reply here.

No offer. Just thanks. This is the message people remember, and it opens the door for the next order. My repeat customers plan picks up from here.

What does a WhatsApp broadcast cost?

On the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta charges per marketing message delivered. For Indian numbers, Meta's INR rate card, effective 1 October 2026, puts a marketing message at ₹0.8631 (Meta's pricing page, updated 30 September 2026). I broke the rates down in WhatsApp pricing in 2026.

So 5,000 opted in people and 6 messages is about 30,000 messages, roughly ₹26,000 before taxes, if all of them are delivered. That is real money. It is another reason to send fewer messages to the people most likely to buy, instead of everything to everyone.

If you are on the free WhatsApp Business app, you have other limits. My take on App vs API covers when to switch.

What kills a December sale?

• One message to the whole list on 22 December. Too late for gifting and too loud.
• Slow replies. A sale message brings questions. If nobody answers "is this available in M?" for 6 hours, the sale message did nothing.
• A link that opens to the home page. Send people straight to the sale page or the product.
• No way to stop. Add "Reply STOP if you don't want these" to marketing messages. People who cannot stop you will block or report you.
• COD with no confirmation. December COD orders come back more when gifting plans change. Read my RTO guide before the rush.

Who answers the questions during the sale?

Plan this before the 20th. Write answers for sizes, delivery dates, returns and gift wrap. Decide who replies at night, because December chats peak after dinner.

If your team cannot cover it, at least set a clear message: "Thanks for your message. We reply between 9 AM and 10 PM. For order status, use [link]." It is better than silence.

What should you do this week?

1. Clean your list. Keep the people who opted in. Remove numbers that never opened a message.
2. Check your courier's last safe delivery date for Christmas.
3. Draft the seven messages in one sitting, and show them to one friend who is not in your business.

Want to see where your funnel leaks before the season starts? Take the free 2 minute Growth Leak Check. You get a score and your top 3 leaks, each with a fix.