12 Data-Backed Holiday Season Strategies for Business Owners: Examples, Checklist & More
Businesses have every reason to be optimistic about the 2026 holiday season. Adobe forecasts that U.S. consumers will spend a record $275.1 billion online, representing a 6.7% increase from the previous year. That makes the holiday season a significant opportunity for businesses, but also a reminder that they need to plan their marketing well in advance to make the most of increased consumer spending. Source: Adobe 2026 Holiday Shopping Forecast
But the opportunity isn’t just about how much consumers will spend. It’s also about when, where, and how they shop. From starting their holiday shopping earlier to discovering products through social media and using AI to research purchases, consumer behavior continues to change.
For me, Christmas is the biggest time of the year, and naturally, it is also when my spending is at its highest.
Needless to mention, my purchases for my little girl, my spouse, and my brother alone make the list quite big. And of course, the list includes wine too.
I don’t wait until Christmas is around the corner to start shopping. I usually start purchasing things well before the holiday season. In fact, I have already bought Christmas clothes and goodies for my daughter. I like to plan ahead, look around, compare things, and slowly get everything ready. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. Most people start buying gifts, clothes, decorations, and other Christmas essentials well before Christmas arrives. That’s exactly why businesses should start their holiday marketing early too. By the time December arrives, many customers have already started shopping and making their Christmas lists.
And this is exactly why I think businesses should be ready for Christmas well in advance too.
If people like me are already shopping weeks or even months before Christmas, businesses should already be marketing to them. By the time Christmas arrives, many customers may have already made their choices.
Christmas marketing should not start at Christmas. It should start well before it.
Here are 12 data-backed holiday season strategies for business owners, with practical examples and a checklist to help you prepare.
1. Start Your Christmas Marketing Early
The data:
43% of holiday shoppers plan to start browsing and buying before November, according to NRF’s October 2026 survey. Among those early shoppers, 50% say they start early to spread out their holiday shopping budgets, while 37% say prices and promotions are too good to pass up. National Retail Federation
The first rule is simple: don’t wait for Christmas to start talking about Christmas.
Customers may already be researching products, comparing prices, and making shopping lists weeks before Christmas.
Example: A fashion store
A fashion store could start promoting its Christmas collection in early November, giving customers enough time to browse, compare products, and order before Christmas.
The campaign doesn’t have to be aggressive. It could start with inspiration and gradually move toward specific products and offers.
2. Create Christmas Gift Ideas
The data:
46% of U.S. consumers say they will turn to social media for holiday gift ideas in 2026, tying it with physical stores as the top source for gift discovery. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/holiday-shopping-trends/
Sometimes customers know they need to buy a gift but have no idea what to buy.
This is where businesses can help.
Example: A skincare brand
Instead of simply promoting individual products, a skincare brand could create:
- Christmas gifts for moms
- Christmas gifts for sisters
- Christmas gifts for him
- Self-care gifts under $50
You are not just selling a product. You are helping someone solve a Christmas shopping problem.
3. Give Customers an Early-Bird Reason to Buy
The data:
37% of holiday shoppers who start shopping before November say they do so because the prices and promotions are too good to pass up, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2026 holiday survey. National Retail Federation
Some customers like to finish their Christmas shopping early. Give them a reason to do so.
Example: A bakery
A bakery could offer a small discount or a free box of cookies for customers who pre-order their Christmas cakes before a specific date.
This helps the customer avoid last-minute stress while helping the bakery plan its production and orders.
4. Use Social Media to Build Christmas Excitement
The data:
46% of consumers say they will turn to social media for holiday gift ideas and product discovery in 2026, tying social media with physical stores as the top source for holiday inspiration. In addition, 57% of consumers are open to completing a purchase directly within a social media app this holiday season. Source: Sprout Social, 2026 Holiday Shopping Trends
Social media can help businesses stay visible throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Example: A restaurant
A restaurant could share its Christmas menu, behind-the-scenes preparation, festive decorations, staff moments, and short videos showing how dishes are prepared.
By the time people start making their Christmas dinner plans, the restaurant is already familiar to them.
5. Make Your Email List Part of Your Christmas Strategy
The data:
88% of consumers still prefer email for holiday promotions, according to a 2026 survey of 1,708 consumers across nine markets, including the U.S. and India. Infobip
Your existing subscribers are already interested in your business, so don’t ignore them during the holiday season.
Example: An online bookstore
An online bookstore could send:
- Early November: Christmas reading and gift ideas
- Late November: Special Christmas collections
- Early December: Gift recommendations by genre
- Mid-December: Last dates for Christmas delivery
This gives customers useful information instead of sending them the same sales email repeatedly.
6. Create a Limited Christmas Offer
The data:
55% of U.S. consumers say discounts and promotions matter more to them this year than last year, according to Cordial’s 2026 holiday consumer research. cordial.com
A Christmas offer can create urgency, but it should have a genuine reason behind it.
Example: A custom furniture company
The company could announce a final date for placing custom orders that are guaranteed to be delivered before Christmas.
The deadline is useful because customers genuinely need to know when they must order.
7. Give Existing Customers Something Special
The data:
41% of shoppers say exclusive discounts for VIP customers are the type of offer most likely to keep them shopping with a brand. Free gifts and faster shipping are also among the perks customers value. Attentive
Christmas is also a good time to appreciate people who have already supported your business.
Example: A coffee shop
A coffee shop could give its loyalty members a free Christmas drink or an extra loyalty point during December.
It doesn’t have to be a huge giveaway. Sometimes a small gesture is enough to make an existing customer feel valued.
8. Collaborate With Another Business
The data:
89% of independent retailers that collaborate with other businesses report a positive commercial impact, including increased foot traffic, stronger brand awareness, and new customer acquisition. Source
Christmas can be a great time for businesses to work together.
Example: A florist and a restaurant
A florist could partner with a restaurant to create a Christmas dinner and flowers package.
The restaurant reaches the florist’s customers, and the florist reaches the restaurant’s customers.
Both businesses get an opportunity to introduce themselves to a new audience.
9. Create Christmas Content Before People Start Shopping
The data:
83% of consumers begin planning their holiday purchases before Black Friday, while 71% plan to start shopping before Black Friday, according to Attentive’s 2026 Consumer Pulse research. Source
Don’t wait until customers are ready to buy. Create content that helps them while they are still researching.
Example: A financial advisor
A financial advisor could publish:
“How to Avoid Overspending at Christmas.”
This may not immediately generate a sale, but it can put the business in front of people who are actively thinking about their finances during the holiday season.
10. Don’t Forget B2B Christmas Marketing
The data:
58% of B2B email marketers are changing their usual email schedules during the holiday season because of increased competition from B2C marketing, while 59% are shifting some spending to channels such as SMS, push, or social. mediapost.com
Christmas marketing isn’t only for businesses selling directly to consumers.
Example: A software development company
A software company could send personalized Christmas messages to its clients, thanking them for their trust and highlighting something they accomplished together during the year.
A genuine thank-you can be much more meaningful than a generic Christmas email sent to everyone.
11. Use Christmas to Build Your January Pipeline
The data:
87% of U.S. post-holiday shopping occasions result in a purchase, according to Google and Ipsos research. Post-holiday shoppers are also more deliberate, with 50% of purchases made with high confidence, a season-high. Google
Your Christmas marketing doesn’t have to end on Christmas Day.
Example: A digital marketing agency
In December, an agency could offer a free 2027 Marketing Planning Checklist.
Someone who downloads it may not need the agency immediately. But when January arrives and they start planning their marketing budget, that person is already familiar with the agency.
12. Don’t Make Everything About Selling
The data:
33% of consumers say focusing on bringing people together rather than selling products makes holiday marketing feel more authentic. The same percentage say clear, straightforward pricing without artificial “limited-time” urgency makes holiday marketing feel authentic. Amazon Web Services, Inc.
This is probably the most important one.
Christmas is also about relationships.
Example: A local photography business
A photographer could share a simple Christmas message along with a collection of favorite photographs from the year.
There doesn’t have to be a sales offer attached to every post.
Sometimes simply showing the human side of the business can create a stronger connection with the audience
Christmas Marketing Checklist for Business Owners
Christmas marketing involves more than creating a few holiday posts. Use this checklist to make sure your website, content, promotions, customer communication, and January follow-up are ready.
☐ Decide what you want to promote for Christmas
☐ Create a Christmas gift guide or gift ideas
☐ Prepare a special holiday offer or bundle
☐ Update your website with Christmas information
☐ Check your holiday opening hours
☐ Create a Christmas content calendar
☐ Start publishing Christmas content early
☐ Prepare your email campaigns
☐ Plan your social media content
☐ Look for opportunities to collaborate with another business
☐ Give existing customers something special
☐ Check your website, checkout, booking forms, and contact details
☐ Clearly communicate order, delivery, or booking deadlines
☐ Prepare a Christmas message that isn’t focused entirely on selling
☐ Create a plan to follow up with customers in January
☐ Review your Christmas marketing results after the season
The key is to start early. Decide what you want to do, prepare your content and offers, and make sure customers can easily find the information they need before the Christmas rush begins
Final Thoughts
I believe Christmas marketing is something businesses should prepare for, not react to.
Just as I start buying my Christmas gifts well before Christmas, customers everywhere are planning, researching, comparing, and purchasing before the holiday arrives.
So, if you are a business owner, don’t wait until December to ask, “What should I post for Christmas?”
Start thinking about it early.
Plan your content. Prepare your offers. Build anticipation. Reach your customers before they have already made their purchasing decisions.
Because by the time Christmas arrives, the businesses that started marketing early may already be the ones customers remember.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season and a successful holiday shopping season.
Happy Businessing!
