How to Run Weekend Discount Sales in WooCommerce?

Who doesn’t love a good weekend sale? Whether it’s a flash discount or a buy-one-get-one-free deal, weekend promos can give your WooCommerce store a sweet sales boost and attract impulse shoppers. But here’s the thing: running a weekend discount sale isn’t just about slapping a coupon code on your homepage and hoping for the best.

If you want to turn casual browsers into weekend buyers, you need a game plan. From setting up the right discounts to automating the whole process (so you’re not stuck working every Friday night), WooCommerce gives you everything you need to make your weekend sale a hit.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to set up weekend sales in WooCommerce—from tools to tips and everything in between. Whether it’s your first sale or your fiftieth, we’ve got you covered.

Thinking about whether a weekend sale is worth the effort? Spoiler alert: it totally is. Whether your store already gets a traffic boost over the weekend or you’re trying to shake off those slow Saturday blues, a well-planned weekend sale can work wonders.

It’s a simple but powerful way to drive urgency, attract new customers, and give your revenue a healthy little nudge—without needing to run month-long promos. Let’s break down exactly why weekend sales deserve a spot in your WooCommerce marketing playbook.

1. Weekends Are Prime Time for Online Shopping

Weekends are often the golden hours for online shopping. People have more free time, they’re less distracted by work, and they’re more likely to casually browse online stores while sipping coffee or lounging on the couch.

For many eCommerce businesses, this naturally leads to higher traffic and better conversion rates over the weekend. Running a weekend sale gives your visitors an extra reason to not just browse—but to buy.

2. The Power of Urgency

The limited-time nature of weekend discounts adds urgency to the mix. When customers see a deal that’s only available for two or three days, they’re more likely to act quickly. It taps into that fear of missing out (FOMO), which, let’s be honest, is a very real motivator. This urgency can help drive up conversions without the need for long-running promotions or steep discounts.

3. Not Every Industry Has Strong Weekend Sales

Now, not every eCommerce industry sees a spike in weekend sales. In fact, some niches can experience a drop in activity during weekends. For example, if you’re selling office supplies or B2B tools, chances are your audience is less active on Saturdays and Sundays. They’re not in “work mode,” so purchases tend to dip. But that’s exactly why running a weekend discount can help—it grabs their attention when they wouldn’t normally be shopping.

By offering a well-timed deal, you can turn a slow weekend into a high-performing sales window. A quick promo like “20% off all work essentials this weekend only” might be enough to bring users back to your store and convert casual browsers into paying customers. Think of it as creating your own traffic spike in an otherwise quiet period.

4. Clears Out Inventory Fast

Got extra stock just sitting on your virtual shelves? We’ve all been there. Unsold inventory can tie up cash flow and clutter your store. Weekend sales are a great way to clear out those slow-moving items without taking a loss.

By offering limited-time discounts, you can create just enough buzz to spark interest in products that may have been overlooked. This is especially useful for seasonal items—like winter wear, summer gear, or holiday-themed products—that you need to move before they’re no longer relevant.

5. WooCommerce Makes It Easy

The beauty of WooCommerce is that it gives you all the flexibility you need to experiment with these kinds of sales. Whether your weekend traffic is booming or barely trickling in, a targeted weekend discount can be a smart way to boost engagement, clear out inventory, or attract new buyers—without putting in a ton of effort.

Running weekend sales on your WooCommerce store sounds like a great idea—until you realize you’re stuck manually updating sale prices late on Friday and again early Monday. Not fun. And let’s face it; your dev team probably has better plans than updating product prices over the weekend.

But here’s the good news: you can totally automate the whole thing.

We’ll show you how to set up weekend-only sales using WooCommerce coupons—no manual work, no weekend stress. All you need is the Smart WooCommerce Coupons plugin by WebToffee, and you’ll be scheduling your sales like a pro in just a few clicks.

Step 1: Install and Activate WebToffee Smart Coupons Plugin

WebToffee Smart Coupons plugin is available in free and paid versions. For this tutorial, we will be using the paid version. It lets you create different types of coupon promotions on your WooCommerce store. 

After purchasing the plugin, install and activate it on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Create a New Coupon in WooCommerce

• Go to Smart Coupons > Add coupon from your WordPress dashboard.
• We will add a 20% discount coupon that applies only during weekends. 
• Enter the coupon code and add a description. 

Step 3: Configure WooCommerce Coupons

• Choose the Percentage discount as the Discount type.
• Set the coupon amount as 20.
• Check the Allow free shipping checkbox to offer free shipping for the products purchased using this coupon.
• Select the Apply coupon automatically checkbox to auto-apply coupons at the checkout.

Step 4: Schedule WooCommerce Coupons for Weekend Sale

• Select coupon start date and expiry date. This is the date range for the coupon to be available. 
• Then, choose the day for which you want to make the coupon active. In this case, let’s select Sunday and Saturday.

• You can apply different usage restrictions to your coupon—like setting minimum and maximum spend limits, making it product-specific, and much more.
• After making the necessary changes, click on the Publish button to save the coupon.

Step 5: Preview the Coupon in Action

Head over to your store, add a product to the cart, and proceed to checkout. You’ll see the coupon automatically applied.

Want to give it an extra push? Consider adding a discount banner on your store page to highlight your weekend sale and drive more conversions.

While this method might not cover every aspect of a full-fledged weekend sales campaign (like email marketing or upsell offers), it’s a super effective way to boost conversions and reduce cart abandonment—without any manual work or last-minute hustle.

By using the WooCommerce Smart Coupons plugin, you can effortlessly automate your weekend deals and keep your store running promotions even when you’re off the clock. Whether you want to clear out inventory, drive urgency, or just give shoppers a reason to hit “Buy Now,” scheduled weekend coupons are a smart (and stress-free) solution.

So go ahead—set it, forget it, and enjoy your weekend while your WooCommerce store does the selling for you.