Winter Emails & Newsletter Ideas: Examples, Subject Lines, and Templates

Why send out winter emails

If you’re not yet convinced winter emails are worth it, here are a few benefits. First, it will help you increase sales. Winter is the biggest shopping season of all. According to recent research, consumers plan to spend an average of $1,552  on gifts, travel, and entertainment in 2025 alone. Post-pandemic, spending has been growing year over year. It would be a huge missed opportunity not to tap into this demand.

Second, the holiday season is all about giving. Why not use this sentiment to build relationships with your customers? Winter emails are a great way to show customers you care and build long-term trust. After all, consistent communication is the basis of loyalty and retention.

Winter email types to include in your campaign

November emails

BFCM weekend

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are among the most important shopping events of the year. You can benefit from both by sending out emails that offer special discounts and coupon codes.

Many customers shop for Christmas gifts during the sales season, so you can extend the special offers or discounts to the beginning of the winter or even further.

If you work for a small business, take advantage of Small Business Saturday, which falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This event is aimed at drawing attention to small businesses and encouraging people to shop with them more.

Want to create an unconventional email campaign? Check out our November newsletter ideas article.

December emails

St. Nick’s Day

St. Nick’s Day (December 6) is a day dedicated to giving, so why not use it to kick off a holiday email marketing campaign? You could create a festive email template filled with discounts and gifts. Just make sure to include images of snow and winter-themed decorations!

Green Monday 

Green Monday is a relatively new e-commerce holiday that falls on the second Monday of December. It was coined as the last day customers could place an order that would be delivered before Christmas. You don’t have to stick to this name, though, or use shades of green in your email design. But it’s still important to let customers know the last day they can order with guaranteed Christmas delivery. You can also mention this in your holiday abandoned cart emails.

Christmas countdown

Christmas is just around the corner, so why not get people in the holiday spirit? One idea is to create a countdown email that highlights your brand’s products, together with any interesting discounts or the latest promotion.

You can also create your business’s version of an advent calendar offering a new deal each day before Christmas.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is the perfect time to send warm and heartfelt Christmas emails to your customers. Let them know that you appreciate each and every one of them and wish them holidays filled with fun and laughter.

Tip: Don’t include any important updates or announcements since the engagement for a Christmas Day campaign may be significantly lower than usual. Remember that your customers are actively preparing for a celebration and probably won’t have the time or desire to check their inboxes.

New Year’s Eve

The end of the year is usually a time of reflection. You can use this to your advantage by sending out a New Year’s Eve email that recaps the year.

There are two options for a year-round-up campaign like this: an email about your business (how many customers you gained, what products you developed, how many stores opened, etc.) or about a particular customer’s engagement with your product or service (achievements or loyalty points accumulated, miles run, bookings made, etc.). Choose any of these two that makes the most sense for your company and industry.

January emails

New Year’s resolutions

January is the perfect time to help your customers stick to their New Year’s resolutions. With that in mind, put together an email that highlights products and services that can help your newsletter subscribers reach their goals.

Blue Monday

Blue Monday is said to be the most depressing day of the year. It falls on the third Monday of January and is usually a time when people feel like they have not achieved as much as they intended to. So, make your customers feel better by sending an email filled with discounts!

February emails

St. Valentine’s Day

This is the perfect time for a Valentine’s Day email that focuses on romance and love. Send out a February email with discounts on gifts for couples, as well as products that your subscribers can give to their significant others.

You can, of course, target singles too. Check out our article on Valentine’s Day marketing for inspiration and campaign examples.

Winter email design best practices

If you want your winter email campaign to work, you need to make sure that it looks good and that its content is eye-catching and well-written. Here are a few tips that should help you achieve this goal.

Winter email subject lines that boost open rates

Make sure that the subject line of your winter email is short, to the point, and attention-grabbing. This will increase the open rate and, in turn,  the sales. If you want your catchy email subject line to contain an emoji, stick to just one. More than that will make the subject line too cluttered. Here are a few examples of good winter email subject lines:

• Holiday deals are here 🎁
• Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕 Get 15% off our gift selection.
• Make 2025 the best year yet! 🔥
• Gift a Fragrance They’ll Always Remember
• Trending winter dresses up to 90% off est. retail 🤯
• Winter is coming!
• Are you ready for the holidays? 🎊
• Cozy holiday incoming
• Luxury Christmas decor
• Our new winter collection is here!

Color palette

Since winter is a cold season, stick to cool tones like blues and purples, as well as whites and grays. It will make each email you send out more winter-themed. Alternatively, you could also use a combination of reds and greens for a more festive look.

Tone of voice

Make your winter emails sound friendly and welcoming. Make sure to use words that convey warmth, such as welcome and appreciate. Doing so will make it easier to build a better relationship with your customers and improve your brand image.

Visuals

Remember to add some visuals to every message. If you are not an experienced graphic designer or want some email design inspiration, be sure to check out custom Christmas email templates and New Year ideas. With a great template, you are guaranteed to save plenty of time and energy.

Responsive design

If your email is not responsive, it is unlikely to help you achieve the results you need. Make sure to design responsive emails that look great on both desktop and mobile devices. That way, you will reach a larger audience and increase your sales. You can use specially created templates to ease your work.

Personalization

Personalization is key when it comes to email marketing. Make sure to use the data you have collected about your customers to create personalized emails that are tailored to their needs and interests. 

The easiest ways to do this are to use the customer’s name in the subject line and to send them suggestions based on their past purchases. This will make them more likely to open and click on your emails, as well as actually purchase something from your store. 

Keeping it brief

As with most email marketing campaigns, winter emails should be brief and to the point. Your customers are busy people and they do not have time to read long emails. Get your point across in as few words as possible to make your campaigns effective.

CTA

If you send an email about your seasonal sales or other deals and discounts, make sure to include a good CTA that complements the email contents. If you don’t know what works best, try out different options with A/B testing. For example, you can send some customers an email with a CTA on a button, and others — with a link CTA. You can also test the link or button colors or copies.

Strategy & automation

Before you start designing, decide what you want winter emails to achieve — quick sales, repeat purchases, or stronger loyalty. Set 1-2 clear goals and pick the campaigns that support them.

Next, segment your audience. This way, your “winter wonderland” sale, year-in-review recap, and Valentine’s offer go to people who will actually care about them.

Finally, put key campaigns on autopilot with email automation:

• Pre-scheduled series: schedule Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s sequences in advance, so reminders and last-chance emails go out on time.
• Behavior-based flows: trigger winter offers when someone browses a product, abandons a cart, or buys a gift, then follow up with recommendations or accessories.
• Post-holiday reactivation: Set up a short automated flow for people who didn’t buy in December but engaged with your emails.

Plan once, automate the rest — and let your winter emails work in the background while you focus on fulfilling orders.

Happy holidays

Last but not least, make sure to wish your subscribers happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Why? Well, not everyone celebrates Christmas. Wishing them happy holidays is a great way to be inclusive and respectful.

Winter email templates to launch campaigns faster

You don’t have to design every winter email from scratch. Selzy comes with ready-made winter email templates for Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and generic “cozy winter” promos — all you need to do is swap in your copy, logo, and product photos.

Each template is:

• Responsive by default – looks great on desktop and mobile.
• Easy to customize – drag-and-drop blocks, no coding required.
• On-brand and on-season – winter color palettes, festive visuals, and clear CTAs already in place.

Pick a template that fits your goal — a sale announcement, gift guide, “year in review” recap, or Valentine’s promo — and customize it in a few minutes instead of hours.

Best winter email examples from your favorite brands

Anthropologie: A cozy mood

Anthropologie is a clothing retailer that offers an assortment of not only clothing, but also jewelry, beauty products, home furniture, decoration, and gifts. One of their winter email marketing campaigns included this relatable email. 

Why it works

The email lists things that you should do when it is too cold outside. The two most obvious points were finding your favorite sweater and making a mug of hot tea. The last one encouraged readers to accept their gift of free shipping and do some shopping at the brand’s online store.

Notably, the email is very simple and minimalistic. The cold winter color palette is easy on the eyes, and so is the background image. The font is pretty, easy to read, and stands out against the dark background.

Verve Coffee Roasters: Colorful and informative

Verve Coffee Roasters, a California coffee company, shared the best-selling blends of the year alongside the customer reviews.

Why it works

One of the sources of content not many brands use to their advantage is internal data. Sales statistics, the development process, or some other insider’s perspective is interesting to your customers just as much as your products. This email newsletter works great as an end-of-the-year promo. Some customers will be motivated to taste the blends they haven’t tried, and others will be glad to learn their preferences are recognized.

Beyond just the content, this email has an exquisite design with bright, exciting colors and short and engaging copies.   

Sephora: Customer-centric approach

Sephora is an international retailer of beauty products. The company launched this holiday email marketing campaign. The focus of the email content is clearly on the promotion. The color scheme of the banner is festive red and gold and images of presents in the corners further convey the theme and atmosphere of celebration.

Why it works

The campaign is packed with information that can help customers shop and reduce friction. There is a loyalty program status up top to remind email subscribers about their benefits. Next, there is a time indication with the ends today text and the shipping information. Furthermore, a contrasting black section below the sale banner indicates various advantages of gift shopping at Sephora. Lastly, there is the nearest shop location and open hours for customers who want to visit the store. This campaign puts convenience front and center. 

While this isn’t one of the most visually pleasing email templates, it does get the job done. It is simple and easy to read. 

Elf Cosmetics: Attention-grabbing GIF

Elf Cosmetics is a brand that specializes in skincare and makeup products. The example here comes from a campaign that they launched in winter. Its main features are a cozy color palette with light shades of brown. 

Why it works

Aside from that, the email includes a simple GIF, which serves two purposes. First, it grabs the viewer’s attention. Second, it emphasizes both the product that the company is trying to sell and the model. The model is wearing a comfortable and soft sweater, which adds to the cozy vibe of the message.

Old Navy: Big numbers, lively colors

Old Navy specializes in selling clothing, ranging from jackets to pajamas. Their winter email’s subject is a huge sale on outerwear, jeans, and sweaters. 

Why it works

The 50% off text is really big and stands out against the green background. As a result, it effectively catches the recipient’s attention. 

Below, you see a picture of two models running through snow. The caption reads beat the chill, which is short and to the point. 

Rooted: Ins and outs for the new year

Rooted is an indoor plant retailer. In this winter email, the brand stated the ins and outs of the year.

Why it works

The format is clear and engaging, it promotes the brand’s products while being relevant to subscribers who are still in the New Year mood.

The color scheme isn’t very wintery, but the email is on-brand and well-structured, so it comes together nicely and fulfills its purpose.

Simon Pearce: New Year inspiration

Simon Pearce is an American glassware and pottery manufacturer. With this January email campaign, the brand shared New Year inspiration and warm wishes. The email copy is short and the fresh start message is encouraging.

Why it works

The email features two white and beige photographs. Both pictures showcase the brand’s home decor — a rabbit reminding about the year’s symbol, and a pine tree to tie in the winter holidays theme. Images are full of light and air, showing that Simon Pearce products are a great addition to the home decor. This is a subtle yet effective promotion.

Banana Republic: GIF with a black background

Banana Republic is a luxurious clothing brand. The entire banner in the brand’s email is a GIF.

Why it works

As mentioned above, GIFs are really effective at grabbing people’s attention. Aside from that, the information about how big the sale is really stands out against the black background. 

Sure, that kind of background might not be directly winter-related. Still, it features cozy, weather-appropriate clothing recommendations at the bottom to draw attention to the season. It is an effective campaign designed to motivate people to shop the sale.

The Novelty Shop: Pink dinosaurs

The team behind Novelty Shop did just that using an animated GIF and one of its most popular products. 

Why it works

January can be a tough month for retailers and newsletter subscribers alike. Luckily, you can always use this subject to cheer up both sides with an engaging email. 

Take note of the colors, too. In the middle of January, you might be feeling a bit sick of whites and dark blues. A brighter shade of pink here really saves the day (and design).

Rifle Paper: Santa is here!

Rifle Paper Co. is a lifestyle brand that sells a wide range of items, from stationery to home decor and gifts. In the Christmas email newsletter, the brand decided to use an adorable illustration of Santa.

Why it works

Thanks to it, the design feels festive and friendly.

The illustration is paired with a big discount on everything the store has to offer. Below it, you can see a CTA with the “go, go, go” calling, which instantly grabs the reader’s attention.

Magic Spoon: Bubbly feelings

Magic Spoon is a company that makes healthy cereal. For the festive winter campaign, the brand opted for a striking pastel color scheme. Bright pink, orange, and blue used in the email design remind the readers of bubble gum or cotton candy.

Why it works

Even the snowy tree branches and icicles by the corners of the banner are colorful. This makes the email campaign magical and exciting.

The email copy is playful and friendly, and the slightly different CTAs make this campaign even better.

Paravel: Shared mission

Paravel is a travel accessories company that uses recycled materials in all its products. This year-in-review email clearly showcases the brand’s positive environmental impact and reinstates the values and mission of the company.

Why it works

At the same time, it thanks the customers and invites them to continue the journey together with the “Let’s keep going” heading.

An email like this one helps to show the unique selling proposition of your company and create a deeper connection with the audience.

Mugsy: Meeting the needs of the customer

Mugsy is a clothing brand that chose to keep up with the customers by sending a promotional campaign for winter jeans. This email anticipates the customers’ seasonal needs and answers with a relevant product.

Why it works

Winter emails are great for promoting products your customers may need when it’s cold outside. Think of the situations your audience faces in their day-to-day lives and come up with solutions to their problems.

Bloom and Blossom: New Year’s resolutions

Bloom and Blossom is a skincare and wellness brand. Its email puts a new spin on the popular “new year, new me” phrase.

Why it works

Instead of building a new you, you are encouraged to focus on taking better care of yourself. What’s more, the company’s products are just what you need to make it happen.

What stands out in this email is the color palette. The hot blue stands out against the beige background, but it doesn’t seem out of place. Instead, the two colors blend well, which makes the entire email design pretty aesthetically pleasing.

Pfaltzgraff: Shades of red

Last but not least, there is Pflatzgraff, which is a popular American kitchenware brand. Its email grabs the recipient’s attention in two ways. 

Why it works

First, there are these splotches of red spread out throughout the photographs it contains. Second, there are four calls to action underneath each set of kitchenware that’s put on display.

Overall, the email conveys a festive feeling while showing the elegance and quality of the products.

Conclusion

To sum up, winter emails can be incredibly effective when it comes to increasing sales and building relationships with customers. However, for such emails to be successful, you will need to keep a few things in mind.

First, remember to send out messages related to popular holidays. That way, you can cater to customers’ demands much more effectively. Check out our e-commerce holiday calendar to get ready in advance.

Second, stick to the winter email design best practices listed above, including catchy subject lines, festive color palettes, and responsive design.

Last but not least, use the examples we provided here as a source of inspiration. With so many different winter email campaigns to look at, you should be able to design an interesting email marketing campaign in no time!.

Winter emails FAQ

When should I start sending winter emails?

Most brands start winter campaigns in late November, then increase frequency in December around Christmas and New Year. January and February are great for follow-up promos, “year in review” recaps, and New Year’s resolutions or Valentine’s Day campaigns.

How often should I email subscribers in winter?

There’s no universal rule, but 1-2 emails per week is a good starting point for most lists. You can add extra sends around big dates (Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day), and then slow down again in January so subscribers don’t feel overwhelmed.

What types of winter emails work best?

Top performers include holiday sales and gift guides, free shipping or last-chance delivery reminders, New Year recap and resolutions emails, Blue Monday / beat-the-winter-blues offers, and Valentine’s Day promos for couples and singles.

How do I make my winter emails stand out in crowded inboxes?

Use clear, seasonal subject lines, a recognizable sender name, and a clean design with winter visuals and strong CTAs. Personalize where you can — for example, by using a subscriber’s name or recommending products based on past purchases.

What should I avoid in winter email campaigns?

Avoid sending too many generic promos, ignoring mobile users, or assuming everyone celebrates the same holidays. Use inclusive greetings like “Happy holidays”, keep emails short and scannable, and always offer an easy way to opt out of seasonal campaigns.