While most people are still enjoying summer vacations or getting ready for back-to-school season, retailers have already set their sights on the festive decorations and holiday promotions lining their shelves. The anticipation of Christmas creates a sense of excitement among both consumers and businesses as they prepare for the busiest shopping period of the year. By understanding market trends and adapting to changing consumer preferences, retailers aim to capitalize on this lucrative opportunity to drive revenue growth.

From creating marketing campaigns to stocking up on inventory, retailers are gearing up to meet the demands of holiday shoppers. With trends constantly evolving, staying ahead of the competition is crucial in this highly competitive market. Factors like consumer behavior, economic conditions, and current events all play a role in shaping retailers’ strategies for the festive season.

We looked at a few consumer behavioural trends that you can take note of that will help you start to plan out what kinds of things you pre-order for the holiday season. 

Numerator Canada has published a 2024 Holiday preview about behaviours that 5000 Canadians surveyed showed. Some key insights to be thinking about:

25% of Canadians surveyed said that the final few months of the year get advanced planning, and Christmas celebrations get 3+ months of planning ahead of time.

That means as retailers, pre-booking holiday favourites like cookie tins or holiday combos from your suppliers is going to be critical. Getting images, pricing, and margins right and ordering things that need to arrive in the country in time for consumers looking for unique holiday treats is going to be critical to success. 

Holidays this year are going to be about gathering with others. 

Gathering with friends and family is the #1 way consumers say they’ll celebrate most holidays this year. Across holidays, an average of 49% of Canadian consumers say they’ll gather with others to celebrate, up from 47% in 2023.

How Canadians approach food for the holidays differs based on the holiday.  

Cooking/celebrating at home seems more popular for Ramadan, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, while going out to eat is more popular for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year.

 60% of shoppers planning to spend $200+ on Christmas.

Food and alcohol rank very high on the list of items that Canadians reported on the list of things to buy for the holidays upcoming. 

It may seem too early, but it’s time as retailers to start thinking about the holidays. If you’re looking for unique gifts or experiential offerings that are going to draw consumers to your store, you’ll want to start talking to vendors now about what they’re planning to offer.

Ask us – we’re ready for the holiday season upcoming. Our reps will be in touch soon – if you want to get a jump on this, contact us at marketing@lgdf.ca and we can get you our holiday offerings right away.