The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. Are you doing everything you can to reach new customers during the holiday shopping season?

1. Getting To Know Your
Holiday Customers
2015

2. The holidays may still be a few months
away, but consumers are already
gearing up for the year’s biggest
shopping season.
They’re searching for deals and
checking them twice across a variety of
screens (mobile, increasingly).
Given that the holiday shopping season
kicks off earlier every year, here are
some seasonal highlights from last year.
'Tis the season... to shop

3. ON THE RIGHT COURSE FOR A STRONG 2015
HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON
NRF forecasts
Holiday retail sales
to increase
4.1%
Source: NRF

4. All OF Q4 IMPACTS HOLIDAY SALES
Source: NRF
In 2013, October thru December delivered similar levels of sales.
In 2014, November was a strongest driver for sales activity.
Predicting the best sales month may be difficult for 2015, so a continual
advertising presence starting in October would be the optimal course of action.

5. Start early
2015 HOLIDAY SHOPPERS WILL…
Use mobile more
frequently to help
them shop online
Half of shoppers will research purchases
before Thanksgiving weekend
52% of online smartphone shoppers
used their phones throughout the
shopping process
Source: Google Holiday survey
Consult more
sources before
making decision
12 sources consulted... nearly tripled
from 2010

6. 15%
5%
9%
19%
48%
I've already started before Labor Day Before Halloween Black Friday/Cyber
Monday
early December
SHOPPERS START EARLY
29%
of shoppers will research
before Halloween
Half
will research before
Thanksgiving
Source: Google Holiday survey

7. WHY CONSUMERS START SHOPPING EARLY
Source: NRF

8. MARKETERS HAVE MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY TO
INFLUENCE EARLY IN THE SEASON
57%
of holiday shoppers don’t have specific
products or brands in mind when they
begin their holiday shopping
78%
of consumers are not loyal
to a particular brand
Source: Google Holiday survey

9. WINDOW OF INLFUENCE EXTENDS
THRU THE HOLIDAY
Source: Google Holiday survey
41%
of shoppers will not complete holiday
shopping until mid-December
24%
of shoppers will not complete holiday
shopping until the “last minute”
8%
of shoppers will not complete holiday
shopping until after Christmas day

10. SO LONG BLACK FRIDAY, HELLO GRAY FRIDAY
Source: Google Holiday survey
Last holiday season, shoppers
seemed hungrier for a deal than
they were for turkey.
Black Friday transformed into Gray
Friday; the big shopping day’s sales
were diluted a bit as retailers began
their promotions and deals early.
Retailers stretched Black Friday deals
and promotions across the whole
month of November removing the
focus from one big day of shopping.

11. Week of
Thanksgiving
& Black Friday
9 WEEK
PRIOR
8 WEEK
PRIOR
7 WEEK
PRIOR
6 WEEK
PRIOR
5 WEEK
PRIOR
4 WEEK
PRIOR
3 WEEK
PRIOR
2 WEEK
PRIOR
1 WEEK
PRIOR
2012 2013 2014
QUERIES PEAKED EARLIER
‘Black Friday’ Query Demand
Consumers are
researching Black
Friday earlier each year
2013 20122014
Source: Google Trends/US

12. HOLIDAY SHOPPING HAPPENS ONLINE
5 hours 46 minutes
Time spent on digital
Increased by more than 2 hours
in the past three years
Source: Google Holiday survey
4 of 5 holiday shoppers
consider the internet the
most “useful” resource

13. ONLINE SEARCH INFLUENCES SHOPPERS
Shoppers are 1.5x more likely to buy
than those who do not use search
Source: Google Holiday survey

14. SMARTPHONE – ULTIMATE SHOPPING ASSISTANT
75%
of smartphone
shoppers plan to use
the phone in-store this
holiday season
Source: Google Holiday survey

15. Source: RAM
Top Sources For Holiday
Shopping Decisions
Among Newspaper Readers
61% Coupons
61% Newspaper Ads
56% Online Retail
56% Newspaper Inserts
53% Catalogs
40% Online Reviews
18% TV/Radio Ads
89%
Look in the newspaper
for THANKSGIVING
specials
NEWSPAPER IS A GREAT
RESOURCE TOO!
Source: RAM

16. Among Newspaper Readers
71% browse ads for gift ideas
58% use ads to compare prices
WAYS THEY USE NEWSPAPER ADS
Source: RAM

17. RECAP…BIGGEST DAYS FOR SHOPPING
Source: Google Holiday survey
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
Thanksgiving
More than
50%
started
shopping
Biggest days
for in-store
shopping
Biggest days
for online
shopping
Days spike
in shopping-
related to
searches on
mobile
Black
Friday
Cyber
Monday
Green
Monday
Gifts for
Dad peak
Christmas
Gifts for
Mom peak

18. KEY TAKE-AWAYS
The Internet has changed the game for the
holiday season.
Smartphone owners are comfortable using
their phone as a shopping companion.
There is no shopping season… consumers
like to shop early and late.

19. Want to learn more about
reaching holiday shoppers
for your business?
Contact us today
P: 517.377.1124
E: sholmes@Michigan.com