The holiday shopping season continues to grow in importance — and not just in November and December. Consumer behavior shows that shoppers are starting earlier, seeking value, and spreading their spending across the full holiday period. Local businesses that get ahead of these shifts can secure more sales and stronger brand awareness.

Holiday Shopping Trends and Projections for 2026

While exact year‑over‑year growth rates vary, several consistent patterns are emerging that matter for local retail and service advertisers:

  • Holiday buying begins earlier and stretches longer. A majority of consumers plan to start browsing and purchasing well before Black Friday — often in early October or even late September — to capture deals and manage budgets.
  • Cyber Week still dominates, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday driving massive online sales spikes — Adobe Analytics reported a record $48.5 billion in Cyber Week online spending in 2025, with strong engagement through associated days like Cyber Saturday and Giving Tuesday.
  • Value‑seeking shoppers are the norm. Many consumers are price‑sensitive and actively comparing deals throughout the season rather than waiting for one peak day.
  • Omnichannel and convenience matter more than ever. Buying online with pickup in store (BOPIS) and flexible fulfillment options are increasingly expected, helping retailers connect digital intent with foot‑traffic conversion.

The takeaway for advertisers: the holiday season is longer, more complex, and more competitive than ever. Waiting until Thanksgiving week means you could miss a large segment of early purchase intent.

Building Holiday Campaigns for Local Businesses: 7 Tips

To start the conversation with customers, be sure they understand the major shifts in holiday shopping, primarily the expanded season. If they wait until the week of Thanksgiving to promote, they may miss out on sales.

Here are some other tips to use in your conversations:

  • Brand loyalty matters less these days: Competitors can swoop in if they have a better promotion and can offer quality and reliability. Competitive types of ads like geofencing could be a winner.
  • Awareness ads should launch by early October: As shoppers make their lists, hearing and seeing ads for local companies could attract website and foot traffic.
  • Rewarding customers can help them retain them: Businesses can create early incentives for this group, or they can prioritize messaging on loyalty programs.
  • Teasing the big promos early can ensure your clients see high activity during the big five: The coming soon ads should focus on the deal and the scarcity. They’ll work best on display, OTT/CTV and radio.
  • A big five campaign should be omnichannel: They’ll see better performance when they use diverse tactics, including radio and digital. The creative should all be in sync, but the messaging can be unique depending on the channel.
  • As the major days get closer for gift giving, emphasize convenience: For those late shoppers, ads can relay things like buy online and pick up in-store.
  • Ads should continue through the new year: Advertisers still have opportunities for revenue after the festivities. They’ve got clearance racks to move and could see an uptick in consumers who received gift cards.

Ready to Start Talking Holiday Shopping Campaigns?

With these trends and ideas, you’re ready to lay out campaigns through the end of the year. You can sell the entire three months at once, making adjustments to creative as often as needed. By understanding consumer expectations, you can be a great asset to advertisers.

For more inspiration, watch the Vertical Views video on holiday retail promotions with a local touch!