12 Key Days of This Holiday Season: How to Prepare Early and Drive Profits

By Jason Fass

ATTRACT EARLY SHOPPERS

Prepare for the longest holiday shopping season yet

This year, people are buying their gifts early. Very early. They’ve spent the past two years watching the pandemic impact the holiday shopping season with supply chain issues, price fluctuations, and retail staff shortages. Now, they’re kicking off their shopping months in advance to get what they need, when they need it, and for the right price. In fact, as early as July, Google searches for “Black Friday deals” grew by over 200% in the U.S. compared to last year.¹ This buyer enthusiasm means retailers have the chance to attract savvy shoppers early and distribute revenue opportunities across a longer period of time.

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REACH OMNIBUYERS

People now shop intuitively across channels

When it comes to holiday shopping, people know the right gift when they see it. They let their intuition guide them as they seamlessly shop both online and offline, frequently seeking inspiration by comparing products across multiple categories at a time. This consumer behavior was exemplified last year, when 54% of shoppers used five or more channels — like search, video, and social media — to shop over a two-day holiday period.² As people continue to blend their inspiration, browsing, and shopping times, retailers now have even more touchpoints they can use to attract customers.

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Holiday shoppers can become brand loyalists

People who have positive gift-buying experiences tend to become repeat customers, even after the Black Friday frenzy dies down. This means retailers have a huge opportunity to give holiday shoppers a reason to return, which will drive profitability and long-term growth. It’s important, then, that retailers communicate their unique value and offerings to shoppers. For example, brands could showcase their outstanding customer service, help customers support causes they believe in, offer loyalty rewards, or provide a combination of all these benefits and more.

Prepare for these key dates to help drive a successful and profitable holiday season.

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ATTRACT EARLY SHOPPERS

Sept. 22: First day of fall

Forty percent of holiday shoppers say their past holiday shopping experience has made them consider shopping much earlier for other milestones this year.³ This means that seasonal shopping has become, ironically, less seasonal and more year-round, with people thinking much further ahead about what they need for all occasions, such as cold-weather supplies or party-hosting essentials.

Tip to prepare

Get ahead of changes in demand and shifting consumer trends with 

demand forecasts

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ATTRACT EARLY SHOPPERS

Oct. 31: Halloween

With shoppers getting a head start on seasonal events, retailers have more time to inspire them. For example, from June to August of last year, Google Image searches for “family halloween costumes” grew globally by over 90% compared to 2020.⁴

Tip to prepare

Use 

Discovery campaigns

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REACH OMNIBUYERS

Nov. 11: Singles Day and other mega sale events

Singles Day (November 11 or 11/11) started as an unofficial Chinese holiday. Then brands began latching onto it as a major shopping event, and Singles Day evolved into one of the world’s largest mobile shopping carnivals. Double-digit 

mega sale days

Tip to prepare

Use 

Performance Max campaigns

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Nov. 25–28: Black Friday weekend

Even if holiday shopping is starting early, more than half of shoppers are planning to hold off on buying gift items until they are on sale.⁵ Many are also open to trying something new. For example, this July, to get a better price or deal due to rising prices, 36% of consumers said they purchased a brand that was different from their preferred brand.⁶

Even if holiday shopping is starting early, more than half of shoppers are planning to hold off on buying gift items until they are on sale.

Tip to prepare

You can attract new customers across the web through the 

new customer acquisition goal

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REACH OMNIBUYERS

Nov. 26: Small Business Saturday (U.S.)

More than two-thirds of U.S. consumers say that small businesses are important to their local communities.⁷ And, according to the National Retail Federation, 

51 million shoppers

Tip to prepare

Reach nearby shoppers by promoting your available inventory with 

local inventory ads

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CREATE ADVOCATES

Nov. 29: GivingTuesday

Despite global challenges, people’s desire to make more socially conscious choices has not waned. The GivingTuesday Data Commons estimates that 

35 million adults

Tip to prepare

Let shoppers know what makes your business unique with 

business identity attributes

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REACH OMNIBUYERS

Dec. 17: Super Saturday

This is the last Saturday before Christmas and the start of Hanukkah, so it’s a great time to start directing customers to your physical store locations. During the period from Super Saturday to Christmas Eve last year, searches for “in stock near me” and “gift card where to buy” grew globally by over 80% compared to the previous week.⁸

Tip to prepare

Set up your brick-and-mortar locations for maximal success by measuring and optimizing for store visits or sales in 

Performance Max

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Dec. 20: Last day for express shipping

Convenience still reigns supreme for shoppers, especially during the holiday period. This year, 75% of holiday shoppers across surveyed countries say they will shop with stores that offer free shipping.⁹

Tip to prepare

First, check the shipping deadlines of your trusted carriers, as they might have differing final express shipping days. Then make sure people know your products can ship quickly and on time with 

free and fast shipping annotations

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REACH OMNIBUYERS

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve

Even the most organized shoppers can find themselves scrambling to cross off the last few items on their holiday gift list. Last year, searches for “last minute christmas gifts for” had grown globally by over 700% in the week before December 25.¹⁰ For these latecomers, shopping online and then picking up items in a store can be a timesaver.

Tip to prepare

Bring last-minute shoppers into your store by adding store pickup labels to your local inventory ads. You can show shoppers which products can be 

picked up in-store today

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Dec. 26: Boxing Day

Once gifts have been unwrapped and guests have left, people could use some well-deserved indulgence, especially during this holiday season. On average, 30% of consumers in surveyed countries around the world say that this year has been difficult and they are rewarding themselves by buying things they want.¹¹

Tip to prepare

When customers start taking advantage of gift cards and have more personal time to treat themselves, you can use the 

bestsellers report

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CREATE ADVOCATES

Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve

As New Year’s celebrations approach, not all customers will be on the hunt for party supplies, fancy outfits, and glitter makeup. According to McKinsey, the “nesting” trend appears to be ongoing, with 

about one-third of consumers

Highlight products focused on resolutions, self-care, home refreshes, and yearly planning.

Tip to prepare

Highlight products focused on resolutions, self-care, home refreshes, and yearly planning with 

Video action campaigns

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CREATE ADVOCATES

Jan. 1: Sales season

As shoppers take advantage of January sales to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions, they will be looking for the best value for their money. In fact, searches for “cheap and best” have grown by over 40%.¹²

Tip to prepare

Grab the attention of price-conscious customers by uploading your best 

promotions and deals

This article first appeared on Think with Google