Your holiday marketing strategy from 2023 probably won’t work anymore. You are speaking to a consumer who no longer exists. On, GEO! On, Agentic AI! On, Micro Communities and Radical Authenticity!
Regardless of how you look at it, your customers are holiday shopping. However, the emotional juggling behind every tap, scroll, and card swipe has shifted. Today’s buyers aren’t simply bargain hunting or passively reacting to flashy email blasts. They are making calculated and research-driven decisions that not only protect their time, but also their money.
Brands must understand how customers are choosing where to spend their money. If you want to get in the mind of holiday shoppers, here are a few things to look for and how you can connect this holiday season.
1: Intentional gifting replaces "volume gifting"
Shoppers have officially experienced "stuff fatigue." After years of rising prices, supply chain disruptions, the impulse to fill stockings with disposable novelties isn’t as strong.
Mindset: “If I’m going to spend, it needs to mean something.” Gifting will be focused on immediate family and close friends, favoring high-utility goods, durable keepsakes, or shared experiences over disposable trinkets.
Shift: Refine your messaging to focus on value, longevity, and problem-solving utility instead of sheer volume.
2: The rise of agentic & assisted buying
AI is no longer just a gimmick – it’s an active shopping assistant. Over 40% of shoppers are leveraging generative AI and shopping agents to take care of things like sourcing gifts, comparing real-time pricing across competitors, and summarizing product reviews.
Mindset: “Save me mental friction.” Consumers outsource the cognitive overload of holiday shopping to smart discovery engines. When an agent suggests an item, it evaluates structured data, return policies, and transparent reviews – not emotional ad copy (hopefully not RIP to the beautiful art that is holiday ads..).
Shift: Optimize your catalog for structured product feeds, real-time inventory visibility, and with clear return policies. If an AI engine cannot verify your inventory or terms instantly, your brand will not make the buyer’s shortlist.
3: Continuous micro-moments vs. "Super Saturday" panic
The shopping calendar has spread out dramatically. Research predicts that over 60% of consumers are shopping earlier this year, pacing their cash flow over months rather than absorbing one massive budget hit.
Mindset: “I control the pacing, not the retailer.” Consumers ignore fake urgency unless they’re getting something REALLY good in return. They browse online and double check in-store before going back online to get the best terms possible.
Shift: Implement an omni-channel strategy. Soft launch your holiday content and ads early during the fall. This sets a good foundation for brand recall at time to purchase. Closer to higher traffic shopping times, launch a more targeted strategy with stronger calls to action (ie., Click-and-Collect, Express Ship) to close the deal as deadlines approach.
The takeaway
The 2026 holiday shopper isn't spend-averse, but they are being more intentional where they spend their money this year. Your marketing strategy should reflect this shift.
Not sure where to start? Book a free consultation with me and we can chat.