The end of the holiday season doesn’t mean an end to enthusiastic shopping. Come January, we see the devoted mindset emerge among those who enjoy shopping after December 25, using this time to keep hunting for deals and gifts — and to treat themselves.
Here are three holiday marketing campaign strategies brands should leverage to win over these shoppers, even after they’ve bought gifts for everyone on their lists.
1. Keep momentum post-holiday
According to a Mastercard credit card analysis conducted by BCG, U.S. consumers spent over $47 billion dollars in retail (excluding Auto, Grocery, and Restaurants) in the two weeks after December 25.1 We also saw the search volume for gift-related queries, like “gifts” and “presents,” remain high in January 2023 — a 45% and 15% increase compared to the early holiday months of September and October 2022, respectively.2
This devotion to post-holiday shopping exists in part because people can now shop for their own enjoyment and less out of an obligation to check off items on their lists. Roughly half (49%) of consumers across surveyed markets agree with the statement that “shopping is a form of entertainment for [them].”3 And post-December 25 is an especially enjoyable time to shop, with 45% of consumers saying they enjoy shopping during the time after Christmas.4 By keeping momentum beyond the traditional peak season, brands can meet these devoted shoppers where they are.
2. Capture the attention of self-shoppers and deal seekers
For some, the days following the festive season could use more excitement. For others, the fun never stopped. Between December 26 and January 4, 90% of shoppers indicate they’re in a positive mindset, a significantly higher share than at any other point in the season.5
The upbeat consumer mood likely contributes to two prevalent shopping behaviors in the post-holiday period: self-gifting and deal-seeking. Self-gifting accounted for 57% of holiday shopping occasions between December 26 and January 4 of last year,6 and that rate has increased steadily over the last three years, driven primarily by millennials and Gen X.7 We’ve also seen deal-seeking continue well into January, with 15% of shopping-related searches containing “sales” during the days post-holiday and through the first two weeks of January 2023.8
Brands have a clear opportunity to serve devoted shoppers past the peak shopping season. But they have an even larger opportunity to increase long-term brand loyalty as it draws to a close, since almost half (47%) of shoppers say the time after the holidays gives them time to shop for brands they love.9 Consider promoting loyalty or rewards programs, which are top of mind for shoppers during this period. In January 2023, we observed a 50% surge in search interest regarding loyalty programs, including searches for terms like “reward program” and “loyalty points,” compared to December 2022.10
3. Connect with customers across digital touchpoints
Perhaps counterintuitively, shoppers use more digital touchpoints and resources to make purchases after the height of the holiday season, with the average number of digital resources used increasing post-holiday.11 This includes Google properties like Search, Maps, and YouTube, whose already high usage throughout the season increases significantly after December 25.12
Last year, one of my most popular videos was a review from a shoe drop that happened on December 29.
— Seth Fowler, YouTube creator and sneaker enthusiast
YouTube creator and sneaker enthusiast Seth Fowler sees this increased engagement within his own audience. “Last year, one of my most popular videos was a review from a shoe drop that happened on December 29,” said Fowler.
So not only are shoppers continuing to shop, but they’re shopping across more digital properties. Brands that stay connected with their customers across these platforms, even after the holiday season, can stand out from the crowd. Maintain a strong digital presence and leverage AI-powered Performance Max campaigns and Video Action campaigns to meet devoted shoppers across these digital touchpoints.
