2024 Holiday Trend Report

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and each year the buzz starts earlier with sales, partnerships, and creator content. This year is no exception, and we’re giving you everything you need to know to level up your holiday planning and strategy.

To help you have holiday success, we’ve surveyed our creator community and two consumer groups to gain insights into the holiday shopper mindset, key shopping trends, and the content planning process for creators. The first consumer group consisted of those influenced by creators during the holiday shopping season, which we identify as “creator-driven consumers,” and the second group, “traditional consumers,” are those who do not follow creators.

Pro-Tip: 80% of consumers said that social media influencers are a primary source of holiday shopping inspiration.

Set yourself up for success—tap into these key insights to create a winning strategy this holiday season and close out the year with big earnings.

Holiday Prep: Consumer Shopping Timing & Trends

Creators and marketers, the time to start planning your holiday strategy is now. Holiday shopping continues to start earlier and earlier, and this year consumers are kicking off their shopping in early October. A notable 47% of creator-driven consumers said they start planning for the holidays 2-3 months before and are most influenced by social media influencers, websites, and stores. Traditional shoppers also start planning for the holidays 2-3 months ahead but their primary sources of inspiration are family and friends.

Creators are planning accordingly, with 41% stating they intend to start sharing holiday content in early October.

When it comes to what consumers are focused on for holiday shopping, creator-driven and traditional consumers agree that finding the best deals is their number one priority. In fact, 79% of creator-driven consumers are utilizing online discount codes and coupons while 56% of traditional shoppers utilize online discount codes.

Pro-Tip: Leverage creator exclusive or custom promo codes this holiday season and build loyalty through exclusive access audiences can’t get anywhere else.

Key tentpole sale moments are also on consumers’ minds as they identify Black Friday as the most important shopping day, followed closely by Cyber Monday.

The Impact of Creators on Holiday Shopping

Creators are redefining the holiday shopping experience through their content, taking consumers from discovery to conversion now more than ever. Creator-driven consumers are looking to them for gifting inspiration, and a creator’s authentic storytelling and honest reviews put them in the unique position to drive these shoppers further down the purchase funnel.

A noteworthy 48% of creator-driven consumers said they typically make 4-6 purchases based on creator recommendations during the holiday shopping period, and ranked mid-tier influencers (50k-500k followers) as the most trusted group for holiday recommendations. Creator-driven consumers are also more likely to spend twice as much on holiday shopping compared to those who do not follow social media influencers.

While there are many forms of holiday content, consumers’ holiday purchases are most influenced by creator product reviews followed by discount promo codes, decorating ideas, and seasonal recipes. Gift guides are also impactful with consumers, as nearly half find them most useful when planning their shopping. This aligns with the 62% of creators who shared that curated gift guides resonate most with their audiences during the holiday season.

Additionally, short-form video content is here to stay. It’s a powerful content format for holiday shopping, with 56% of creator-driven consumers sharing that they engage with video tutorials, Stories, and Reels most during the holidays.

Your Target Audience Matters: Generational Consumer Trends

Knowing your target audience is essential to choosing the platforms you utilize during the holiday season. Furthermore, it impacts how you tailor your strategy by platform to fit different demographics. Facebook ranked highest as the platform consumers follow for holiday gift ideas, especially among Gen X and Boomer consumers. Meanwhile, just over three-quarters of Gen Z consumers are engaging with both Instagram and YouTube, with TikTok following very closely behind. Similarly, 74% of Millennials are using Instagram for gift ideas and 72% are going to TikTok. Millennials are also more likely to listen to podcasts for holiday gift inspiration than any other generation.

Understanding who your audience is also impacts the products you promote during the holiday shopping season. A significant 90% of Gen Z consumers are focused on shopping for clothing, footwear, and accessories, while 72% of Millennials are seeking out toys and gadgets. Gen X’s attention is split, with 74% of consumers shopping for clothing, footwear, and accessories and 74% interested in electronics and gadgets. As for Boomer consumers, 69% are shopping for clothing, footwear, and accessories.

Spending habits between the generations play an important role in holiday shopping too, as 46% of Gen Z consumers plan to spend more this holiday season while over half of Millennials and Gen X consumers plan to spend the same amount as last year. Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers are most influenced by price and discounts when shopping, but Gen Z cites product quality as their number one influence when making a purchase. Gen Z is also the only generation, with 42% of consumers, indicating that they are planning on buying luxury items this season. The other generations shared they’re less sure about luxury purchases this year. 

When looking to create content for the holiday season that’ll capture the attention of all generations, our creators recommended product reviews; sharing that this type of content is the most persuasive across generations for holiday gift ideas. And while every generation notes that consistent quality of past recommendations from a creator is an important factor, it’s most important to 80% of Gen Z.

Nostalgia Plays an Important Role in Consumer Holiday Shopping Behavior

The majority of creator-driven and traditional consumers shared they’re planning to incorporate holiday traditions from their past into this year’s holiday celebrations and gift giving, signaling that nostalgia is a trend to lean into this holiday season. Of creator-driven consumers, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to shop for holiday gifts that evoke specific memories or traditions from their childhoods. And Millennials are most likely to look for retro or vintage items when shopping.

Pro-Tip: Weave in personal traditions and nostalgic elements into your content to build an emotional connection with the audience you’re targeting.

Another point of consideration is that each generation gravitates toward different types of nostalgic gifts. Gen Z consumers want to give or receive retro fashion items, Millennials are interested in classic holiday movies or music, and both Gen X and Boomers are seeking out traditional holiday food or treats.

‘Tis the Season for Creating a Winning Strategy

Utilizing the key findings from our report, develop content and campaign strategies that focus on:

• Video Content: Prioritize video formats in your campaigns, as 56% of consumers are engaging mostly with video tutorials, Stories, and Reels during the holiday season. 
• Sales Events: Over three-quarters of consumers intend to focus on finding the best deals this holiday season, so highlight sales events prominently in your content and campaigns.
• Product Reviews: Three in four consumers find creator product reviews to be the most persuasive content for holiday shopping. Additionally, nearly half of consumers consider gift guides particularly helpful when planning their purchases. When planning your holiday strategy, make sure to incorporate these content elements. 

Come Partner With Us

Collective Voice’s customized casting strategy and always-on campaign approach provides a full customer journey that lets you meet your target audience at every stage. We’ll use the key insights from this report, along with our expert team, to craft a strategy tailored specifically to your brand. Be sure to secure your holiday campaigns with us! Sign up to learn more about what we can do for your brand.

Come Create With Us 

Tune in to our 2024 Holiday Hub! From must-know sales and chart-topping high commission rates to trending products, money-making tools, and insider tips from creators—we’re here to help make this your best holiday season yet. Check it out!