35 Christmas Marketing Stats To Know In 2024

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and you’re probably wondering what consumers seek in terms of holiday purchases. Knowing what your target audience expects and prefers, from how they search for gifts to what incentives they look for during the holiday season is paramount to outpace competition.

So, how can you boost customer experience and your seasonal sales, all at once? We collected the top Christmas marketing stats, key trends, forecasts, and shopping facts to help you prep your holiday marketing strategy for success.

Find Christmas stats on retail, eCommerce, email marketing, consumer behavior, and holiday shopping from notable sources, such as the National Retail Federation, Adobe, Statista, etc.

1. Retail & E-commerce Christmas Marketing Statistics

Firstly, explore some interesting stats around Christmas marketing for eCommerce and retail business owners that can shape your plans toward success. Learn the average amount of profit gained from previous years and which retail products prevailed – apart from Christmas decorations, of course:

• Last year, holiday retail sales reached $964.4 billion. – NRF
• Adobe estimates that the holiday online spending for 2024 will be $240.8 billion. –Adobe
• By 2024, e-commerce retail is expected to claim 19.2% of total retail sales. – eMarketer
• Last year, only one in five consumers planned to shop in-store. – Sitecore
• The retail categories that are expected to have the highest share of total holiday spending are toys, video games, and electronics. – Adobe
• Most US shoppers add items to cart to get free shipping while many avoid purchasing if the brand doesn’t offer this incentive. – Sitecore
• Consumers prioritize early discounts and deals from eCommerce brands for their holiday shopping. – Sitecore

2. Holiday Email Marketing Stats

Christmas email marketing is a powerful tool for marketers when implemented the right way. Let’s explore some relevant email marketing stats:

• Email personalization, subject line emojis, and GIFs are mostly used to improve email performance. – Litmus
• Email marketing is among the top performing marketing channels due to its versatility. – HubSpot
• The email ROI for retail and eCommerce stores is $45 for every dollar spent. – Litmus
• Tuesday at 12pm is the best time to send an email. – Forbes
• 34% of survey respondents use AI tools for their email copy. – Litmus
• Abandoned cart emails get 45% open rates, and 21% of them receive clicks. Of the users that clicked, half of them completed a purchase. – Moosend

3. Consumer Behavior & Trends For Holidays

Now, let’s explore some stats to show you how consumer behavior and attitudes can affect holiday spending:

• While millenials still lead in average holiday spend ($2,222), Gen Z spending is increasing ($1,752). – PwC
• Approximately 3 in 10 consumers plan to cut down on spending compared to 2023. – PwC
• Last year, 1 in 5 shoppers started shopping for the festive season in November. – Sitecore
• Younger holiday and Christmas shoppers (18-34) are more likely to return gifts. –  Celigo
• Last-minute holiday shoppers buy more in-store (41%), gift cards (34%), or visit sites with faster order process and shipping (27%). – Tinuity
• Consumers, especially younger ones, increasingly prioritize sustainability, while 56% of consumers try to minimize packaging waste. – Deloitte
• 57% of US buyers intended to shop online during holidays. – Statista

4. Holiday Shopping Trends

Last year, the inflation affected consumer behavior. Let’s see what this year may hold for retailers through these stats:

• Apart from low product costs, 58% of holiday shoppers look for product quality, 48% easy shipping, and 43% quick and safe delivery. – Celigo
• 69% of Gen Z and 68% of millennials plan to do grocery shopping online and through delivery apps. – Coveo
• 43% of US consumers start shopping for Christmas gifts before October. – Statista
• Here are the top items that people plan to buy during holidays: fashion, apparel & accessories (60%), gift cards (58%), kid’s toys (43%), electronics (41%), video games & books (41%). – Tinuiti
• 44% of millennials and 39% of Gez Z would resort to AI tools for gift buying. – Coveo

5. Social Media Holiday Statistics

If you wanted to name some of the most influential apps that affect consumer behavior, social media networks would be first on the list. Here are some stats to prove this point:

• TikTok is the most popular platform for holiday shopping among Gen Z (61%), while Baby Boomers still resort to Facebook. – Tinuity
• Instagram (67%) and TikTok (62%) are the top gift inspiration sources for the festive season for social media shoppers. – Sitecore
• In 2023, about 34% of buyers used social media platforms to search for or buy holiday goods. – Statista
• 46% of consumers stated that viewing AI-powered images on social media would not change their decision to purchase from that brand. – Bazaar Voice
• While 46% of consumers opt for branded content, 44% prefer user-generated content. – Bazaar Voice

6. Black Friday & Cyber Monday Stats

Before Christmas arrives, Black Friday and Cyber Monday – including Cyber Week – are amongst the most popular shopping days for consumers, with deals and sales going through the roof. Here are some stats to help you prepare for those big days:

• Cyber Week and the week before Christmas are the most profitable holiday periods. – Experian
• 48% of US and 44% of UK shoppers plan to to go Black Friday in-store events than online ones. – Celigo
• 27% of US and 36% of UK consumers stated they don’t shop on these holidays. – Coveo
• Black Friday had the highest email conversion rate in November. Campaigns reached 0.13 and automated messages 2.5%. – Omnisend

Christmas Marketing Stats Gifted To You By Santa

Dear marketer, there’s no need to surrender to Christmas blues this year. These Christmas marketing stats will help you prep your digital marketing strategy and satisfy your customers’ true wishes during the holidays.

And remember, building email marketing campaigns is one of the best ways to maintain strong relationships with your customers and subscribers on these jolly days. Get inspired by these Christmas email examples to craft yours.

And when you’re ready to send those beautiful holiday emails, sign up for a Moosend account, pick a ready-made Christmas template, and schedule the campaigns in advance to save time.