67 Holiday Spending Statistics to Jump for Joy Over

You don’t need flashy data points to know that holiday marketing is a major milestone in any business’s fiscal year.

But, while some think holiday marketing is solely a retailer’s game, all types of industries can benefit during the winter holiday season. Today, we’ll take a look at some key holiday spending and marketing statistics that prove this season can be fruitful for your business. Plus, we’ll uncover:

• How much money is spent during the holidays?
• Is holiday spending up or down this year?
• How important is holiday marketing to my business?

Let the holiday spending statistics speak for themselves to show you how you can make this festive time of year the best gift your business could receive.

 

Holiday spending statistics

Between gift cards, coupons, holiday promotions, and more, businesses have lots to look forward to this season. Understanding the spending patterns of holiday shoppers can help shape your holiday marketing strategy. Here are holiday spending statistics fit for any industry.

When shoppers plan to spend

• 56% of shoppers plan to complete their holiday purchases before December.
• 91% of people admit to making holiday purchases at the last minute. 30% say those last-minute grabs typically happen a week or two before, and 7% say they’ll even do holiday spending on the day of.
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined have been projected to generate over $10 billion in sales.
• Cyber Week takes up 17% of online holiday spending.
• 58% of Cyber Week purchases are made by totally new visitors.
• Due to fears of high delivery times and supply-chain shortages, 39% of consumers plan to start shopping earlier than they previously would have this holiday season.

How much shoppers will spend this season

• Holiday spending is expected to surpass $1 trillion in the US for the first time ever.
• 2021 November and December holiday sales are expected to rise by up to 5%. Those two months are projected to rake in up to $859 billion.
• For the 2021 holiday season, the average consumer is expected to spend 7% more than they did last year.
• Holiday retail sales have increased by 4.4% on average over the past five years.
• High-income shoppers are predicted to spend up to 15% more this year than last year over the holidays.
• 39% of consumers say their 2021 holiday spending will be higher than what they’ve spent years prior, whereas 43% expect to spend about the same amount, and only 18% will be spending less.
• 1 in 3 holiday shoppers believes buying gifts for loved ones is more important than sticking to their budget.
• The average holiday spend per household on services and experiences is forecasted to be around $536 for the 2021 season. That’s 15% more than last year!

Online and in-store holiday shopping 

• 85% of consumers will be shopping online this holiday season.
• To complete their holiday spending, 74% of consumers will shop both online and in-store.
• Online holiday sales are forecasted to increase by 10% compared to last year’s 2020 holiday season.
• Nearly 50% of holiday shoppers will do more online shipping so that gifts are delivered directly to family and friends.
• For online purchases, 73% of consumers plan to choose standard delivery for the holidays. 47% will opt into same-day or next-day delivery.
• 33% of holiday consumers prefer “buy online, pick-up in-store” and 21% want curbside pickup available.
• 27% of holiday spenders plan to shop at local, independent stores.
• 22% of people plan to shop for holiday supplies (recipe ingredients, decor, etc.) both online and in-store.

Holiday spending and shopping preferences

• 66% of holiday shoppers want gifts that are less than $50.
• 82% of holiday shoppers use Amazon for gifts.
• 47% of consumers cited free shipping as something that would influence where they shop for holiday gifts.
• 66% of holiday spenders are willing to pay more for sustainable products during the 2021-2022 holiday season.
• The average holiday shopper is willing to travel 11.5 miles to buy a gift from a retailer.
• 82% of people will look to festive in-store displays to provide information during their holiday shopping experience.
• 60% of U.S. holiday shoppers choose to shop at brick-and-mortar stores because it allows them to interact with a product before purchasing.
• 42% of holiday shoppers prefer buying from local businesses versus going to national retail chains.

Holiday marketing statistics

Still unsure if a holiday marketing campaign is a good idea for your business? These statistics speak for themselves on the importance of holiday marketing for all businesses:

• One-third of consumers say their holiday weekend spending is driven by holiday promotions.
• 56% of people use social media to research products or services during the holidays.
• 87% of Gen Z shoppers will get holiday shopping inspiration from social media platforms, like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
• 58% of all consumers’ holiday buying decisions will be influenced by social media—with Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram as the top three front-runners.
• 33% of holiday consumers will wait until there is a sale or promotional offer to shop.
• 96% of shoppers look at online reviews during the holidays.
• 8 in 10 holiday shoppers are influenced by the internet before making a purchase or booking a service, with search engines being the most influential.

Related: Get your online presence prepared with our local listings holiday checklist.

• 27% of businesses plan to deploy email marketing during the holiday season. 25% also plan on putting their holiday marketing budget towards paid social media marketing. Meanwhile, 20% of businesses will be implementing display ads, and 14% doing the same with search ads during the holiday season.
• Consumers who make purchases sparked from an email are likely to spend 138% more than those who don’t receive holiday email offers. (PS: We’ve got 100+ December email subject lines for you to try!)
• Black Friday holds the trophy for the highest number of opened emails and links clicked during the holidays. In recent years, there were over 5 million promotional emails sent that day—more than any other day throughout the year. Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving take second and third place, respectively.
• 61% of people in the United States are willing to reveal personal information in exchange for a special holiday deal.
• Costs for clicks from paid ads can increase by over 140% during the holidays.

Related: Download your free 2021 ultimate holiday marketing guide (with new data!).

 

More fun and festive holiday statistics

Use these interesting holiday statistics to help spark ideas for your holiday marketing campaigns!

• 90% of consumers plan to celebrate winter holidays, including events like Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
• 75% of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving, and 44% also celebrate Friendsgiving. Meanwhile, 65% will be celebrating Christmas and 8% will be celebrating Hanukkah.
• Nearly 50% of consumers carve out a holiday spending budget to treat themselves. Items like beauty products, electronics, and apparel are among the most popular to be self-gifting items.
• 11% of consumers plan to buy a gift for their service providers.
• 70% of pet owners treat their animals to fun snacks and new toys during the holiday season.
• 57% of Americans attend holiday parties each year.
• About half of people have lied about liking a gift.
• More than half of consumers have gift cards at the top of their wish list.

 

Use holiday marketing to unwrap revenue growth

The holidays can act as marketing inspiration for your business. Use these statistics to brainstorm ideas on how you can incorporate the holidays into your marketing plan. Whether it be running promotional offers for a limited time, or simply celebrating along with your customers, there are tons of options for affordable and easy holiday marketing ideas. With the staggering numbers above, these next few months are sure to be your best ones yet!