The holiday spirit is in the air, and so too is the sound of shoppers clicking “add to cart.” With consumers starting their gift hunts earlier than ever, the 2024 holiday shopping season promises both opportunity and competition for advertisers. Now is the time to craft a winning strategy that captures hearts, minds, intent, and wallets.

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This holiday season is poised for remarkable growth even as some consumers continue to feel a bit wary about the state of the economy. However, after the record-breaking success of this year’s Prime Day in July, expectations are high for holiday spending—especially in the eCommerce sector and through Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options. 

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In fact, U.S. online retail sales are projected to surpass $1.2 trillion in 2024, with holiday shoppers contributing $240.8 billion by year’s end—an impressive 8.4% increase from last year. Additionally, modern consumers are flocking to BNPL options, with spending in this category forecasted to hit a staggering $18.5 billion during the holiday season alone. 

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One major trend this year is the rise of early holiday shopping. Nearly a quarter of consumers have already started purchasing gifts, and many more have reported they will begin well before November. Search remains a critical touchpoint to reach high-intent consumers, with over half of consumers starting their purchase journeys off traditional search engine results pages (SERPs). Some of these primary destinations include everything from social media, privacy browsers, BNPL apps, and influential editorial sites. 

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Brands that want to reach these high-intent shoppers need to diversify their media strategy and prioritize an omnichannel approach to capture consumers increasingly searching on the open web before and beyond the legacy SERP. 

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Discover more valuable insights and proven media tactics by downloading our comprehensive 2024 Holiday Guide. Consider it your go-to resource for staying ahead of the curve, converting high-intent shoppers, and driving holiday revenue worth celebrating.