When Do People Start Holiday Shopping in 2024?
With the year-end holiday season slated to hit record sales levels in 2024, after years of consecutive annual increases, it’s clear that this is a lucrative period for businesses.
As a store owner, knowing when people begin to shop for the holidays ensures you get the most out of consumers’ increased shopping activity during these key months. This allows you to better reach your buyers when they’re most active. So when do people start holiday shopping? Here’s a breakdown.
When do people start holiday shopping in 2024: table
|
When people plan to start holiday shopping in 2024 |
Percentage of respondents indicating when they plan to begin holiday shopping |
|
October or earlier |
31% |
|
November before Thanksgiving (11/1–11/27) |
29% |
|
Thanksgiving (11/28) |
9% |
|
Black Friday (11/29) |
13% |
|
The weekend after Thanksgiving (11/30–12/1) |
8% |
|
Cyber Monday (12/2) |
2% |
|
During December after Cyber Monday |
9% |
When do people start holiday shopping?
According to a recent survey, the most popular time to start shopping for the holiday season in 2024 is before November. As many as 31% of consumers in the United States say this was when they planned to start purchasing holiday gifts for the year-end season.
This is followed by the first four weeks of November, before the Thanksgiving period—specifically, from November 1 to November 27. More than one-quarter (29%) of people say they intend to begin their holiday shopping in this period. Shopping activities on Thanksgiving day itself are expected to be relatively low, as just 9% of consumers say it’s when they will kick off their year-end shopping spree.
Black Friday, a single day capable of generating billions in sales year after year, is set to be the third-most popular moment for consumers to begin holiday shopping—13% say it’s when they will start.
The study shows that as the end of November approaches, the majority of shoppers (82%) will have already started to purchase year-end presents. Of the remaining, 8% plan to start the weekend after Thanksgiving, on November 30 and December 1, and another 2% intend to do so on the Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as Cyber Monday (December 2). Another 9% of consumers are leaving it relatively late, choosing to begin shopping for the holidays only after Cyber Monday in December.
When do people start holiday shopping: How much do they expect to do?
In addition to understanding when people start holiday shopping, it’s also important to know how much shopping consumers plan to accomplish before key dates.
Before Thanksgiving
|
Amount of holiday shopping planned before Thanksgiving |
Percentage of respondents who say they intend to do this amount of their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving |
|
None |
12% |
|
Some |
25% |
|
About half |
17% |
|
Most |
22% |
|
All |
9% |
|
Not sure |
15% |
According to the survey, many shoppers aim to get a significant portion of their holiday purchases done before Thanksgiving. Only 12% of respondents do not plan to do any holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, while one-quarter (25%) intend to do “some” shopping. Another 17% expect to complete about half of their shopping, and 22% plan to finish most of it.
Notably, 9% say they will complete all their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, indicating they will not take advantage of sales from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while 15% remain unsure of their plans.
From Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday
|
Amount of holiday shopping planned from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday |
Percentage of respondents who say they intend to do this amount of their holiday shopping in the period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday |
|
None |
12% |
|
Some |
25% |
|
About half |
17% |
|
Most |
22% |
|
All |
9% |
|
Not sure |
15% |
The data also reveals that the period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday remains a key shopping time for many consumers. Only 7% of consumers have no plans to do any holiday shopping during this time, while nearly one-third (29%) plan to do “some” shopping.
An additional 19% expect to complete about half of their holiday shopping during this period, and 20% plan to do most of their shopping. Similar to pre-Thanksgiving shoppers, 9% say they will complete all their holiday shopping during the Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday window, while 16% are unsure.