fbp
2024 Holiday Season Consumer Shopping Predictions

Written by Jayme Muller

September 16, 2024

Man holding tablet with words "Christmas sale" on the screen and a Christmas tree in the background.

One hundred days till Christmas.

You can decide whether that feels far off or right around the corner. Either way, we are heading into double digits on this countdown to Christmas Day. And what better time than now to look at a few holiday shopping predictions?

According to a recent EMARKETER forecast, half of holiday shoppers plan to start shopping before Thanksgiving. In fact, as of June 2024, at least 16 percent have already started. Coincidentally — or maybe not — this year’s Thanksgiving date (November 28) is as late as it can ever be on the calendar, which means fewer days to shop between the Black Friday frenzy and December 25. While it’s unclear whether this is pushing more consumers to shop earlier this year, the pre-Thanksgiving shoppers may help boost overall sales to make up for a shorter traditional gift buying season.

In general, the holiday shopping outlook is favorable. EMARKETER also predicts that total U.S. retail sales in November and December 2024 will increase by 4.8 percent YoY — or a full percentage point higher than the actual YoY increase for 2023 holiday sales. Even if the prediction is true, much of the boost in sales will likely be online. Ecommerce growth in November and December is expected to increase twice the overall rate, at 9.5 percent.

Major credit bureau Experian also weighed in with 2024 holiday shopping insights, noting several trends from 2023 that are expected to continue trending:

  • More mobile shoppers
  • Early shoppers seeking deals
  • Earlier holiday promotions
  • Popularity of flexible payment options like “buy now / pay later” (BNPL)
  • Increasingly omnichannel shopper journey
  • More sales driven by paid search

 

READ MORE: Mobile Shopping to Dominate Online Sales This Holiday Season

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION STEPS FOR RETAILERS 

Even with 100 shopping days till Christmas (at the time this was posted), Thanksgiving and Black Friday are barely two months away and retailers need to be ready now. If you don’t feel ready, here are a few practical steps you can take to optimize your holiday strategy for maximum sales potential.

 

FINALIZE YOUR Q4 PROMOTIONAL CALENDAR AND MARKETING PLAN 

While no one can truly predict what the holidays will bring and having the ability to pivot can be helpful, going into this season with an informed plan is important. And it’s certainly not too early to start targeting holiday shoppers now — at the end of Q3 — with paid search campaigns to drive awareness online and on social media and with pre-holiday flash sales to delight the deal-motivated crowd.

PROMOTE ANY PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS YOU OFFER 

If you don’t already offer alternative payment plans, now is the time to consider options like BNPL or progressive leasing.

But if you do already offer financing options, don’t assume your customers know. Train your sales associates to talk about financing. Include it in calls-to-action on your website, on digital signage in your store and in your advertising.

Speaking of ads…

TEST PAID ADS ON GOOGLE AND SOCIAL MEDIA 

As the statistics show, digital advertising is key to reaching a large percentage of shoppers around the holidays — and any time of year. Many shoppers who prefer to purchase in store still begin their search online. By targeting keywords that relate to your products, you can ensure that people searching in your community will see your ads in their search results. Facebook ads can also achieve similar results by targeting demographics and interests within a specific radius.

OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR MOBILE SHOPPING 

If your website is hard to use when viewed on a mobile device, you could be missing out on a large portion of online purchases this holiday season. In general, mobile users are five times more likely to stop what they’re doing if a website isn’t optimized for their device. Yikes!

Not sure how to make your website mobile-friendly? Reach out to our OneShop team today.

Connect With Us!

More Podcasts

235: Tereaux Elevates the Allure of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining

235: Tereaux Elevates the Allure of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining

Though making their PrimeTime debut this past August, Tereaux presented itself as a veteran in the space with a luxurious lineup and plan to help dealers tackle the booming outdoor entertainment category.

234: Amid a Star-Studded PrimeTime, Legacy Classic | Modern Shares Several Updates

234: Amid a Star-Studded PrimeTime, Legacy Classic | Modern Shares Several Updates

Tahira Dock Johnson, director of sales operations for Legacy Classic | Modern, joins us to talk about what’s new and exciting for their brand, how they’re helping drive traffic to independent dealers’ stores and more.

233: Furrion Sheds Light On the Growth in Outdoor Entertainment

233: Furrion Sheds Light On the Growth in Outdoor Entertainment

Outdoor entertainment really seemed to come into the fore during the last few years as consumers put effort into creating lively spaces outside the four walls of their homes. Yet, as Furrion National Sales Manager Aaron Mellow shared, there’s still plenty of education needed around this space – for both consumers and independent retailers.