Circana: Earlier holiday shopping poised for comeback in 2025
Consumers are looking to get a jumpstart on holiday gift-buying.
Forty-four percent of consumers said they plan on starting their shopping earlier in the season than they normally would, according to the annual holiday purchase intentions consumer survey from Circana. Nearly half (47.6%) of holiday shoppers plan to start gift-buying before Thanksgiving, up from 44.8% last year.
In other findings, last-minute shoppers who plan on waiting until early December or later to start their holiday shopping is at the lowest level in four years (19.2%).
Black Friday
While the majority of consumers plan on starting their holiday shopping early in the season, 19% have their sights set on Black Friday as their holiday shopping kickoff day. In 2024, Black Friday maintained its position as the top shopping day in the fourth quarter across both physical and digital retail.
Promotions will have a more significant influence on holiday shopping this year, with 37% of holiday shoppers indicating that they will buy more items that are on sale or promotion to save money. Again this year, Black Friday was identified by the largest share of consumers (23%) as the time they expect to find the best deals for holiday shopping.
“Today’s consumer is more focused on planning and prioritizing on their quest for value,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor for Circana. “Getting an earlier start on holiday shopping gives them more control and choice when it comes to making a purchase decision, rather than feeling the pressure of filling a last-minute need.”
The report noted that early season promotions exposed a by-product of expected sales events: The anticipation of such promotional periods triggers a wait-and-see mode among shoppers that creates purchasing pullback in advance of the promotion itself.
“Even with lower prices, consumers have become less impulsive – doubling down on their ‘need now, buy now’ mindset,” added Cohen. “Marketers need to continue to assess ways to achieve dynamic success with consumers by making their brand, their store, a destination that hits the mark on product and value at the right time.”
