With Christmas a little over two months away, consumers already know who they’re buying for. Some are even building lists and researching possible gifts for family and friends. But when it comes to the actual choice of brand, then it’s all to play for, writes Aaron Hopkins.
[DISCLAIMER: We’re about to talk about Christmas, in case the title didn’t give it away.]
I know, it’s only October. The Halloween sweets aren’t even discounted yet and somebody, somewhere, has already tried to convince us it’s acceptable to put up the tree.
The thing is, a few years ago, we were talking about whether online would kill retail. It didn’t.
Then we worried that shopping centres would become redundant. They didn’t.
Looking at this year’s Christmas shopping, the real story is in the search window.
Consumers are planning earlier, researching and increasingly using digital and AI tools to compare options before they buy. So, how do you make sure your brand is one of the things they’re thinking about?
At Talon, that’s exactly the question we’re always trying to answer. Through Atlas Insights and Pulse Brand Tracker research, we’re able to understand who festive shoppers are, what motivates them and where they’re spending their time throughout the season. That allows us to build campaigns around real behaviours and moments of intent, helping brands show up while decisions are still being made.
Christmas is Protected Even When Budgets are Not
There is, of course, no separating this Christmas from the wider economic picture.
Consumers remain conscious of rising costs, with 77% expecting Christmas shopping to be more expensive this year and 84% saying thy feel the same or worse off financially than they did last Christmas.
But the more interesting point is how they’re responding.
Younger consumers appear particularly willing to protect their festive spending, with more than half of 18-24s intending to spend more. Among those aged 45-54, 45% expect to spend roughly the same as last year.
The List Exists But What to Buy is Up for Grabs
Earlier shopping does not necessarily mean consumers have made final decisions.
Our research found that 40% already know who they are buying for but have not yet decided what to buy. Some 44% write a gift list, while 41% search online for ideas.
The gap between knowing who to buy for and what to buy may be the most commercially valuable stage of the Christmas shopper journey.
Christmas Shopping is Still Something People Do Together
For all the change in how people research gifts, the physical shopping experience remains remarkably resilient.
Almost everyone in our research, 99%, plan to complete at least some Christmas shopping in-store. Shopping centres lead the way in terms of destination (84%), followed by high streets (49%) and retail parks (48%).
But we’re not just heading into town to tick gifts off lists. We’re turning it into an experience: 61% plan to grab something to eat, 21% will go to the pub, 37% plan to meet friends and 21% plan to visit a beauty salon.
There is No Single Festive Shopper
I know I sound like a broken record, but there really is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to targeting audiences.
Older audiences show a stronger preference for morning shopping. Younger consumers are more likely to head out during the afternoon or evening, with those middle age brackets shopping across various times of the day dependant on life stages.
Journeys differ too. Car travel is particularly popular over the festive period (72%), making roadside visibility important, while walking and public transport remain central too, with younger demographics relying heavily on bus (46%) and LUAS (22%).
If there’s one thing this year’s research tell us, it’s that Christmas has become less about the purchase and more about the journey that leads to it.
Consumers know who they’re buying for, they’re building lists, researching ideas, but the final brand choice is still open for grabs.
That’s the opportunity.
With 63% of consumers saying they’re more likely to notice advertising in the run up to Christmas, and 44% say they feel more connected to brands that join relevant conversations, showing up in the right context with the right message matters more than ever.
At Talon, that’s exactly why we use tools such as Atlas Insights to understand where festive audiences are spending their time, what influences their decisions and how those behaviours evolve across the season.
Aaron Hopkins is client manager with Talon
