Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, today announced the release of the Mailchimp report Holiday Shopping Unwrapped: Marketing Strategies for the Moments That Matter, prepared in conjunction with Canvas8 and Marketoonist. Marketers can turn to this report for seasonal shopping cycles, enhanced insights into consumer behaviour, and tailored marketing strategies for the duration of the festive season—all drawing from expert commentary and a survey of 9,356 respondents across Australia, Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The report unpacks consumer spending by examining a wide roster of personal, cultural, and community-driven “moments,” a framework that debuted in the New E-commerce Calendar earlier this year. With an eye on the end-of-year sales rush, Holiday Shopping Unwrapped identifies a series of 7 phases that define the modern Christmas shopping experience, each driven by its own set of emotional cues and purchasing habits.
“The key to effectively reaching holiday shoppers is understanding where consumers are—physically, emotionally, and culturally—during every phase of the holiday season,” says Jillian Ryan, Senior Manager of Content Strategy at Mailchimp. “Our research provides a compelling look at these motivations, granting marketers new insights and strategies for connecting with shoppers.”
For all the jokes about “Christmas Creep,” the buying festivities do begin sooner than widely acknowledged: According to the report, 43% of shoppers made a purchase tied to at least 1 major sales moment during the Early Lead-up phase, which takes place during October. And while conventional wisdom often touts discounts and deals as a reason for the season, 52% of holiday shoppers say their primary motivation for purchasing during the holidays is to bring joy to others.
Decoding the holiday season
The holiday season unfolds over 7 distinct phases, each marked by unique emotional drivers, spending patterns, and shopping behaviours. Understanding these phases and the 7 archetypal shopping behaviours that define them can be key to a successful holiday strategy.
- The Early Lead-up (October 1 to 31): In October, holiday cheer can feel less like festive fun and more like a rogue party guest showing up too early. But for Gift-Giving Lifers, it’s a perfect time to check off a Christmas list—in part motivated by a sense of pride in telling others they’re finished. 43% globally made a purchase associated with at least one moment (such as Halloween) during this time.
- Pre-peak Sales (November 1 to mid-November): By November, audiences grow more receptive to holiday cues like music and films. For Joyful Shoppers, the desire to give something meaningful often outweighs the allure of a discount. For shoppers buying gifts for others during the holiday season, 31% fewer shoppers globally say price is an influential factor compared to other times of the year.
- Peak Sales (Mid-November to November 30): This deal-driven phase is where most shoppers use peak events like Black Friday to buy gifts for others and themselves; a whopping 75% of global shoppers have made a purchase associated with at least 1 moment during this phase. Discount Devotees, a key audience for these moments, are a broad group united by their relentless pursuit of a great deal and the feeling of having outsmarted the system.
- Festive Phase (December 1 to mid-December): Early December is a dynamic and emotionally charged period; some consumers are in the middle of holiday shopping, while others are just getting started. During this phase, 26% of shoppers made a purchase—often driven by regional traditions like St. Nicholas Day, for which 48% of Beneluxian and German shoppers made a purchase. It’s a popular shopping time for the Curators, who take their time hunting for gifts with a story.
- Last-minute Sprint (Mid-December to observational days): The days leading up to Christmas are a mix of festive celebration and last-minute prep, as some settle into traditions while others race to wrap up their to-do list. The Last-minute Listers are anxious about gifts arriving on time—and they’ll turn to any brand that can help them cross the finish line. This is a crucial audience during this phase; globally, 78% of those who consider a purchase on Super Saturday—the last Saturday before Christmas—are buying gifts for others, and 52% made a purchase on Christmas Eve for the against-the-wire last-minute dash.
- Betwixtmas (Observational days to December 30): Between Christmas and the New Year, consumers enter an indulgent phase driven by post-holiday relief. Here, the Self-Gifters take matters into their own hands: 68% of Australian, Canadian, and UK shoppers* who consider a Boxing Day purchase are buying for themselves.
- New Year (New Year’s Eve to early January): During this period, consumers shift from festive giving to self-reflection and renewal. The Self-Improvers are using January sales to support their resolutions—particularly in Europe, where 63% of shoppers participating in these sales are purchasing items for themselves.
Navigating these many moments can be a complex and time-consuming challenge for marketers, but understanding what customers want—not just through survey data and expert advice, but also from the kinds of real-time marketing and financial insights and tools provided by the Intuit platform—can make all the difference.
“This report tells us that marketers have clear opportunities to reach customers, regardless of whether or not they’re offering deals or are operating outside of traditional shopping periods,” says Ryan. “There are all kinds of shoppers—and a single consumer can embody different archetypes as the season ebbs and flows. This new research builds on Mailchimp’s tradition of helping marketers understand and segment their audiences so the right message finds the right customer at the right time.”
