For many retailers, the holiday season is the most important sales moment of the year as consumers are setting their sights on gift-giving. Intuit Mailchimp’s latest report, Holiday Shopping Unwrapped, reveals how festive spending unfolds across seven distinct moments, driven by what shoppers think, feel, and do, making it more of a series of sprints than a marathon.
For business leaders, that’s good news. A recent Mailchimp study* found that 37% feel “overwhelmed” by current marketing operations. Breaking the season into manageable phases offers clarity and focus.
Each phase reflects different shopper behaviours and emotional drivers—creating opportunities to influence decisions more effectively. Rather than relying on blanket campaigns, understanding customers’ mindsets helps brands deliver messages that truly resonate.
By tailoring strategies to these shopper personas, marketers can turn a one-size-fits-all approach into a finely tuned, high-return holiday strategy.
Appealing to the new emotional economics of festive shopping
Here’s a look at the key behaviours—and the tactics that turn browsers into buyers.
Gift-Giving Lifers
During the Early Lead-Up ( 1 to 31 October), it’s time to shine for the planners, who are getting everything sorted before everyone else—if only for the satisfaction of getting to brag about it.
How to target them: Marketers should give the Gift-Giving Lifers something to brag about. Capitalise on early events with messaging framed around smart planning and joyful preparation. The sweet spot is in making early shopping feel savvy, not premature. By replacing the hard sell with storytelling that celebrates organisation and rewards preparation, the brand can position itself as the trusted ally in stress-free gifting.
Joyful Shoppers
The Pre-Peak Sales (1st to mid-November) period brings out the individuals who are more compelled by sentimental value than discounts—they’re in it for the joy of giving, not saving.
How to target them: Cater to the Joyful Shoppers by leaning into the excitement and satisfaction of finding the perfect gift for a loved one. Marketers should prioritise campaigns that evoke nostalgia, celebrate relationships, and highlight the thoughtfulness behind each purchase. Pulling on this audience’s heartstrings by spotlighting emotionally resonant products can lead to a full-price payoff.
Discount Devotees
When Peak Sales (mid- to 30 November) hit, the Discount Devotees start hunting for a bargain at all costs. They hate missing out on a good deal, and love feeling like they’ve outsmarted the system.
How to target them: Help the Discount Devotees win their savings strategy by appealing to their sense of reward. Marketers should make the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals count through personalised offers, VIP access, and time-limited deals. Value-based messaging, coupled with a sense of urgency and personalised marketing, will make them feel like they’re ahead of the curve.
Curators
In the Festive Phase ( 1 to mid-December), the story-based shoppers are taking their time searching for something memorable and meaningful.
How to target them: For marketers, this is a chance to highlight the brand’s narrative to build connection with the Curator—it’s not about what the product is, it’s about where it came from. Tap into emotional storytelling that brings products to life beyond the price tag, celebrating craft, community, or a cause.
Last-Minute Listers
By the Last-Minute Sprint (mid-December to observational days), it’s time for many to start leaning more into the holiday spirit—including the procrastinators who are anxiously scrambling to finish their holiday shopping in time.
How to target them: Marketers should offer practical, frictionless solutions like guaranteed delivery, click-and-collect, or gift wrapping, as the Last-Minute Listers will likely turn to any brand that will help them cross the finish line. Empathy and reassurance will go a long way with these shoppers. Marketers should consider segmenting their audience to target those who have started to check out or viewed certain products with clear information on delivery times, availability, and seamless experiences.
Self-Gifters
After the main event, enter Betwixtmas (observational days to 30 December), when shoppers start shifting their focus from loved ones to themselves. They’re taking matters into their own hands and making exchanges to get what they really want.
How to target them: Give the Self-Gifters a pat on the back for getting through the frenzy of the holiday shopping season. Marketers should craft campaigns that tap into their self-indulgent mindset by emphasising the rewards of hard work and self-care following a job well done. The “treat yourself” messaging is resonant here—after all, they’ve earned it.
Self-Improvers
With the New Year (New Year’s Eve to early January) comes New Year resolutions, and those still shopping are buying their way to self-improvement.
How to target them: What the Self-Improvers need most is support and encouragement. Marketers should center the “New Year, new me” mindset by emphasising practical, progress-oriented purchases. Make it easy to justify more spending after the holiday by promoting products that will help them achieve their goals and invest in their future selves.
Turning festive sentiment into measurable success
Building marketing strategies that align with customer mindsets and peak engagement periods will be critical for brands this holiday season. Beyond understanding the emotional economics of festive shopping, businesses also need the right tools to deliver results.
To help marketers maximise this opportunity, Intuit Mailchimp has introduced new features to reach customers and drive revenue through the busiest time of year. Holiday-ready email templates and journeys, global SMS and Multi-Audience tools, plus advanced reporting and insights dashboards, are just some of the ways marketers can optimise their efforts and set themselves up for success.
With the power of the platform, marketers who adapt their strategies with timely, relevant context will stand out—driving sales now and building loyalty for the future.
Learn more beyond this snackable overview, and dig into the full Christmas roast with all the trimmings here.
Dive into what’s new on the innovation front to unwrap the power of your data to drive holiday sales here.
*According to Mailchimp’s study in late July 2025, in partnership with Sapio research. The survey was conducted among 375 Marketers of all seniorities and 375 BDMs at manager level or above across all sectors in the UK.
