For marketers, the holiday season seems to arrive earlier every year.
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are a major incentive for consumers to start their Christmas shopping as early as Thanksgiving. In fact, it’s recommended that retailers begin their Christmas campaigns two to three months before.
There’s a good reason for this. In the US, holiday-related sales throughout November and December make up nearly one-fifth of total annual sales in the retail segment. In 2021, there were an estimated 148 million people in the US planning to shop on Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas.
This year, a significant rise in e-commerce is expected to occur during the holidays, reaching around $235 billion worth of sales, up 15.5% from 2021.
More traffic, more first party data
The expected increase in e-commerce means a big rise in online traffic is expected too. This traffic will generate a deep pool of first-party data, which is great news for marketers.
Knowing what your potential customers are interested in, and how they like to browse and shop, is key to understanding what campaigns and ad messaging will work best. During the holiday season, consumers are pumped to purchase gifts for people they love, which means they are open to offers, curious to find out about available products, and like to compare products from different categories and sellers. Many are prone to impulse buying when the right item and deal comes their way.
According to Google*, 54% of consumers use 5+ channels, including social media, video and search, while shopping during the holiday season. For marketers, providing a seamless customer experience both online and offline creates many touchpoints to interact with and nurture the target audience until they click the buy button and convert.
For mobile marketers, here are some consumer insights for the holidays to help plan successful campaigns:
1. DYI enthusiasts kick off new projects early in the year
For many DIYers, the upcoming holidays are the perfect reason to start a new project. Some enjoy decorating their homes for the holidays, others like to make or build gifts for families and friends. This is a great opportunity to connect with DIY customers who are searching for ideas, inspiration and materials.
2. Holiday shoppers skew younger and single
Giving gifts for the holidays is an almost universal practice. However, it’s the younger age groups and singles who give the most gifts to family and friends. According to Start.io mobile data, 67% of holiday shoppers in the US are between the ages of 18-44, and 31% are single.
3. Arts & crafts shoppers get creative
Arts and crafts shoppers are typically creative and explorative, and they are often searching for new supplies that they can use for their favorite hobbies. Interestingly, 31% of mobile users who are interested in arts & crafts are also homeowners. This factoid reveals a great opportunity for marketers to target arts & crafts shoppers with home decorating or home improvement ideas.
4. Toy shopping makes kids and parents happy
There is nothing kids want more than to find their favorite toy wrapped under the Christmas tree. Toys is one of the most popular categories during the holiday season, and it’s no wonder – according to Start.io data, 35% of holiday shoppers are new parents, who are just waiting to buy gifts for their little ones.
5. Interest in Travel is big during holiday season
Besides shopping for Black Friday deals and Christmas gifts, interest in travel is also big among holiday shoppers. Start.io audience data shows that 26% of e-commerce users in the US are interested in traveling. In the months leading up to the holidays, these people are dreaming of vacations, planning end-of-year getaways and looking to take advantage of travel discounts and deals during the sale season.
6. Fashion store shopping for the latest trends
A popular category during the holiday season is clothing and apparel. People who love to shop for fashion also love great deals on their favorite labels and brands. According to Start.io audience data, 21% of mobile users in the US have an interest in Fashion.
7. On the lookout for deals & coupons
The holiday shopping season is all about finding the best and cheapest deals. In the past, shoppers had no choice but to fight it out with other customers in stores, hoping to literally grab the deals off the shelves while they still lasted. Now, customers can shop for discounts online, in the comfort of their own home, without the frenzy. For retailers of all kinds of products, digital deals are the best tactic to reach a wide audience, boost their brand profile and customer engagement, and increase sales. A glance at the data from Start.io shows that 39% of mobile users in the US are interested in promotions while shopping online. So what are you waiting for?
Explore Maia, the industry’s first audience building platform built strictly on NLP (Natural Language Processing) and Artificial Intelligence.
*Source: Google/Ipsos, U.S., Holiday Shopping Study, online survey, n=7,253, Americans 18+ who conducted holiday shopping activities in past two days, Oct. 2021–Jan. 2022
