Cashing In On a Longer Holiday Shopping Cycle

For all the jokes about “Christmas creep,” the buying for many does begin sooner than widely acknowledged: According to a new report by Intuit Mailchimp, 43% of shoppers have made a holiday-related purchase in October.

“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.”

The report Ryan refers to – titled “Holiday Shopping Unwrapped: Marketing Strategies for the Moments That Matter” – identifies seven phases that define today’s holiday shopping experience, each driven by its own set of emotional cues and purchasing habits. Here’s a brief intro to each:

• Early Lead-up: Those who start in October find it’s a perfect time to check off a Christmas list—in part motivated by a sense of pride in telling others they’re finished.
• Pre-peak Sales: In this November slot covering the first two-thirds of the month, audiences grow more receptive to holiday cues like music and films, and many look to buy gifts that are meaningful, with price being a lesser concern.
• Peak Sales: This deal-driven phase is where most shoppers use peak events like Black Friday to buy gifts for others and themselves.
• Festive Phase: In early December, some consumers are in the middle of holiday shopping, while others are just getting started.
• Last-minute Sprint: Last-minute Listers are anxious about gifts arriving on time—and they’ll turn to any brand that can help them cross the finish line.
• Betwixtmas: Between Christmas and the New Year, consumers enter an indulgent phase driven by post-holiday relief.
• New Year: During this period, consumers shift from festive giving to others to self-reflection and self-improvement.

Click here for more on the phases.