The Three Things Yule Need to Know About Holiday Spend Seasonality

A few weeks ago, we looked at which shopping channels command the most holiday spend. Equally important is knowing when this spend will occur. Here are three must-know trends about holiday seasonality —specifically, when each channel sees the most activity in spend.1. Brick & Mortar’s online properties saw the biggest Black Friday / Cyber Monday boostOrange may be the new Black Friday, but this customary retail event was the most important seasonal sales driver for traditional retailers’ online properties. Customers are still paying attention to stores well-known for their Black Friday doorbusters, but they are more and more likely to forego early mornings and crowded stores to snag a good deal from the comfort of their homes.2. Online-only retailers cracked Cyber Monday​ Last year, purely eCommerce retailers like Amazon also saw a bump in Black Friday/Cyber Monday spend. This was a significant change from the year prior when online-only retailers saw comparatively flat spend that week. The mid-season spend momentum carried well into the season until finally peaking the week before Christmas—when shipping guarantees start to become too close for comfort.

3. In-store spend shifting to later in the season​Still commanding the largest share of customers’ budgets, in-store spend saw far more gradual and stable increases across the season. While physical locations saw modest activity around Black Friday, their biggest time to shine was in the eleventh-hour. In the final weeks of December, customers flocked to physical stores to secure final gifts in hand without the uncertainty of shipping snafus.Actionable Tips:There’s still plenty of time to capture holiday sales this season—especially those last-minute spikes seen by Brick & Mortar and Online-Only channels. Brick & Mortar retailers can appeal to eleventh-hour shoppers by highlighting extended store hours, inventory assurance tools, and gift guides. Online-Only and Brick&Mortar.coms can win more sales by offering last-minute express shipping guarantees.Want more Holiday insights? Check out our other holiday spend trends, and check back weekly for new holiday insights.