The Christmas season creates opportunities far beyond product promotion. Editorial features, engaging content and memorable customer experiences give retailers powerful ways to reach audiences, build brand affinity and support sales. PR Suite sets out five actions to strengthen visibility during this key trading period.
Christmas PR is underway
Christmas editorial is planned well ahead, but media need relevant stories right through to the final shopping days. Look beyond broad gifting categories to niche recipients, specific occasions and practical shopping needs. Consider instantly accessible gifts, such as digital presents, and last-minute appointment availability, from beauty services to festive treatments.
Put value into context through budget-led selections, useful bundles and complimentary services. Share relevant offers with shopping editors, including clear pricing, promotional dates and availability. Highlight extended opening hours, gift cards, delivery cut-offs and immediate collection.
Supply purchasing links and high-resolution photography, including product cut-outs or shots on white backgrounds. Match each angle to the right contact and confirm they’re still accepting submissions.
Sell the occasion through the story
Bring products to life through Christmas storytelling. Develop Christmas cocktail recipes, party-season hair tutorials, festive home decorating ideas, hosting guides and advice on choosing a thoughtful guest gift.
Use expert commentary, recipe cards and visual demonstrations across your website and social content. Pitch relevant ideas to media as advice-led features, giving each story a clear audience and a practical application.
Make your products discoverable through AI
AI search tools can draw on retailer websites, editorial features and independent reviews to answer shopping questions. A product page supplies the facts; a gift guide or review can explain suitability and provide an independent assessment. Both owned and earned media can become sources for product discovery.
Strengthen that opportunity with descriptions that explain benefits, recipients, budgets and occasions. Keep information consistent across retail listings and provide accurate details for journalists’ coverage. Work with your website team to ensure important pages can be found and indexed.
Create content your customers are already asking for
Questions from shop floors, website enquiries and social comments reveal what matters to your customers and where they need more information. Turn recurring requests into editorial angles, engaging guides and demonstrations.
Build these answers into your social channels, newsletters and website content. Make product-led social posts easy to shop with clear prices and direct purchasing links. Demonstrate products in use and share timely offers, loyalty benefits and savings with the details customers need to act. Offer relevant insights to editors and host live sessions where people can ask questions and engage directly with your team.
Turn Christmas visitors into lasting customer relationships
Christmas is retail’s busiest trading season. Make that footfall count by setting your team up for success. Prepare colleagues with the knowledge and support to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Your people and your store should leave shoppers with a lasting impression of what makes your brand worth returning to.
Give customers a reason to visit beyond shopping. Create a Christmas experience that brings your brand to life, whether it’s a small, thoughtful touch or a bigger festive event. This could be as simple as gift wrapping, personalisation, styling appointments or festive tastings. A pet store could host Santa on December Saturdays, while a children’s clothing store could create a Christmas photo booth for families. Promote these experiences through local media and listings to give shoppers another reason to visit.
Kaytlyn Mitchell, founder & CEO of PR Suite, said: “Christmas creates a concentrated period of consumer attention, but visibility shouldn’t depend on seasonal promotions alone. Retailers have opportunities across their products, expertise, people and customer experiences to create stories that audiences and media find useful.
“The strongest approach connects those opportunities across earned media, owned content and in-store activity, helping retailers support Christmas sales while building stronger customer relationships beyond Christmas.”
