The holiday season typically centers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to culminate in December, but, as we know, this year has been anything but typical! The months of lockdown and limited openings of storefronts have made consumers rethink their holiday shopping checklist. Milestones and celebrations from the end of March throughout the summer have been cancelled or postponed. Now, as restrictions ease, consumers look to celebrate what they can. 2020’s holiday season strategy should not focus only on a few big ticket days, but should start as soon as October and make every moment count.
Earlier Holidays
SproutSocial reports that holiday searches on Pinterest are up 77% in April 2020 compared to April 2019. The survey continues that consumers across the globe want retailers and businesses to make the holidays extra special this year. Focus on messages of helpfulness and hopefulness, while meeting customer’s expectations to encourage customer loyalty. If you capture consumer’s attention earlier and with smaller celebrations and provide them with a memorable shopping experience, they should want to return to you for their bigger holiday needs. Ensure your social channels are optimized to best provide inspiration to searchers as they prepare for the holidays.
The December holiday season itself isn’t the only one starting earlier: Target announced its early release of Halloween decor. People want to celebrate Halloween this year, but celebrations for the spooky holiday, as with all other holidays, will have to get creative. There are opportunities for retailers to innovate celebrations and holiday goods. Retailers may find creating experiences helpful in building and sustaining brand loyalty throughout all the holidays.
Celebrate Small Holidays and Occasions
Consumer confidence increased in June and increasing confidence leads to increasing optimism. This optimism leads people to celebrate and mark milestones they missed during the pandemic. Consumers want a reason to celebrate and expect retailers to be able to help them.
Survey data from Pinterest notes that in past years, 4 out of 10 Pinners said they cared about the smaller holidays like Friendsgiving or New Year’s brunch; this year, 7 out of 10 care. Market for these micro-holidays to be in consumer’s minds for the macro-holidays as well. Celebrate every small moment and holiday to champion togetherness and community. And who knows, this unpredictable and unprecedented year may be the start of new celebrations and new traditions. The end of the year may spark a bigger observance of these smaller moments in the years to come and consumers will want to return to brands that made them feel cared for and not alone.
