Despite jokes about Christmas creep, holiday shopping does start earlier than most people think. A new report shows that 43% of shoppers made a purchase during the early lead-up phase in October. It also reveals that discounts aren’t the main driver for holiday spending. 52% of shoppers say their primary motivation is to bring joy to others.
Based on a survey of 9,356 shoppers across Australia, Benelux, Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia, the UK, and the US, Intuit and Mailchimp’s report, “Holiday Shopping Unwrapped,“ reveals key trends and phases of the holiday shopping season.
Understanding the different phases of the holiday season
The holiday season unfolds over 7 distinct phases, each marked by unique emotional drivers, spending patterns, and shopping behaviours. Understanding these phases may be key to a successful holiday strategy
- Early lead-up (October): 69% of US shoppers who considered buying something during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days were buying gifts for others.
- Pre-peak sales (November): Price is a less influential factor for gift buyers during this time compared to other times of the year, a 31% difference.
- Peak sales (Black Friday/Cyber Monday): 75% of global shoppers have made a purchase during this deal-driven phase.
- Festive phase (early December): 26% of shoppers made a purchase, often tied to regional traditions. For example, 48% of Beneluxian and German shoppers made a purchase for St. Nicholas Day.
- Last-minute sprint (Last days before Christmas): 78% of people who consider a purchase on Super Saturday (the last Saturday before Christmas) are buying gifts for others.
- Betwixtmas (Between Christmas and New Year): This is a time for self-gifting. 68% of Australian, Canadian, and UK shoppers who considered a Boxing Day purchase were buying for themselves.
- New Year (January): Shoppers focus on self-improvement. 63% of European shoppers participating in these sales are purchasing items for themselves.
“The key to effectively reaching holiday shoppers is understanding where consumers are—physically, emotionally, and culturally—during every phase of the holiday season,” says Jillian Ryan, Senior Manager of Content Strategy at Mailchimp. “Our research provides a compelling look at these motivations, granting marketers new insights and strategies for connecting with shoppers.”
Navigating these many moments can be a complex and time-consuming challenge for marketers, but understanding what customers want—not just through survey data and expert advice, but also from the kinds of real-time marketing and financial insights and tools provided by the Intuit platform—can make all the difference.
“This report tells us that marketers have clear opportunities to reach customers, regardless of whether or not they’re offering deals or are operating outside of traditional shopping periods,” says Ryan. “There are all kinds of shoppers—and a single consumer can embody different archetypes as the season ebbs and flows. This new research builds on Mailchimp’s tradition of helping marketers understand and segment their audiences so the right message finds the right customer at the right time.”