Holiday retail marketing starts now, as the holiday shopping season seems to start earlier each year. In 2023, Amazon’s additional Prime Day in October, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Sunday, and Cyber Monday accounted for 16.2% of total US holiday retail ecommerce sales.1
This year, holiday retail sales are predicted to grow nearly 5% over 2023 to reach $1.37 trillion. E-commerce sales are predicted to reach $271.58 billion, an increase of nearly 10%, while traditional non-ecommerce sales are expected to reach $1.1 trillion, a 3.7% increase. 1
As they do throughout the year, consumers will shop online, on their smartphones and in physical stores, making it critical for retailers to offer consistent experiences and messaging across all media channels. Over half (55%) of US adults research and buy products online through a retailer’s website. More than a third (37%) research products on a retailer’s website but wait to buy them in a physical store. 1
- US retail mobile commerce sales during the 2023 holiday season grew 14.5% to $125.60 billion, over half (50.6%) of total holiday retail ecommerce sales. 1
- Although ecommerce sales continue to grow during the holiday season, non-ecommerce sales still made up the majority (81.1%) of total holiday retail sales in 2023. 1
- Gen Z and millennials are more likely to do their holiday shopping in-person at the mall than Gen X and baby boomers, who are more likely to shop online via retailer websites. 1
Consumer Holiday Spending Plans for 2024
Most consumers surveyed (33%) say they plan to spend about the same on gifts as last year, with 13% planning to spend more and 20% planning to spend less. One-quarter of shoppers surveyed say it’s too early for them to know what their spending plans are.2
Holiday Shoppers Seek Savings
Regardless of their spending plans, ongoing economic challenges resulting from inflation and prices increases will make deals and savings a higher priority than ever for holiday shoppers. From doing more comparison shopping online or in-store to buying gifts on sale, or doing more research online before buying in-store, shoppers will be doing their homework to get the most out of their holiday spending dollars.2
Source: Prosper July 2024
Engage More Shoppers with Integrated Advertising Campaigns
A marketing strategy that engages shoppers with personalized, relevant offers with consistent messaging across print and digital channels is proven to drive engagement and traffic to your retail website or store.
Source: Prosper July 2024
Digital advertising + mail can increase response rates up to 450% and increase conversion rates up to 28%.3
- Adding email to print advertising creates a 30% lift over single-channel campaigns. Mspark’s email solution achieves 80% household penetration with individual targeting options at the household level.
- Expand the reach and frequency of your advertising campaigns with highly targeted digital advertising.
Learn more about digital advertising solutions that drive engagement and increase conversion rates.
Consumers will be looking to buy gifts on sale and comparison shopping to find the best deals. Engage these shoppers with targeted, relevant offers.
Did you know?
55% of consumers expect marketing mail they receive from brands to be personalized in some way.4
- Offers are key to enticing recipients to open and read direct mail:
- Consumers are 78% likely to respond to a single offer or promotion and 77% likely to respond to multiple offers or promotions. 4
Direct Mail drives action: 64% of consumers say advertising mail has inspired them to take action, including visiting a retailer’s website or physical store. 4
Learn more about how retailers partner with Mspark to drive results in our case studies. Click “get started” below to be connected with an expert to discuss your marketing goals.
Sources: Deep discounting, mcommerce remain keys to holiday season success, emarketer, March 20241; Prosper July 20242; US Modern Postcard, Direct Mail Statistics 20233; LOB 2023 State of Direct Mail Consumer Insights4
