Never mind 'Christmas Creep', here's the 'Magnificent 7'

With summer officially over, marketers need to stop bemoaning the onset of “Christmas Creep” and wake up to the fact that buying festivities begin much sooner than widely acknowledged, with a new report identifying the “Magnificent 7” phases that define the modern seasonal shopping experience.

Mailchimp’s Holiday Shopping Unwrapped: Marketing Strategies for the Moments That Matter, unpacks consumer spending by examining a wide roster of personal, cultural, and community-driven “moments”, each driven by its own set of emotional cues and purchasing habits.

Prepared in conjunction with Canvas8 and Marketoonist, report maintains that the festive season unfolds over seven distinct phases, each marked by unique emotional drivers, spending patterns, and shopping behaviours.

– The Early Lead-up (October 1 to 31): In October, holiday cheer can feel less like festive fun and more like a rogue party guest showing up too early. But for a cohort called “Gift-Giving Lifers”, it is a perfect time to check off a Christmas list, in part motivated by a sense of pride in telling others they are finished. Some 43% of consumers globally made a purchase associated with at least one moment (such as Halloween) during this time.

– Pre-peak Sales (November 1 to mid-November): By November, audiences grow more receptive to holiday cues like music and films. For this cohort of “Joyful Shoppers”, the desire to give something meaningful often outweighs the allure of a discount. For shoppers buying gifts for others during the holiday season, 31% fewer shoppers globally say price is an influential factor compared to other times of the year.

– Peak Sales (mid-November to November 30): This deal-driven phase is where most shoppers use peak events like Black Friday to buy gifts for others and themselves; a whopping 75% of global shoppers have made a purchase associated with at least one moment during this phase. “Discount Devotees”, a key audience for these moments, are a broad group united by their relentless pursuit of a great deal and the feeling of having outsmarted the system.

– Festive Phase (December 1 to mid-December): Early December is a dynamic and emotionally charged period; some consumers are in the middle of holiday shopping, while others are just getting started. During this phase, 26% of shoppers made a purchase—often driven by regional traditions like St Nicholas Day, for which 48% of Beneluxian and German shoppers made a purchase. It is a popular shopping time for the “Curators”, who take their time hunting for gifts with a story.

– Last-minute Sprint (mid-December to observational days): The days leading up to Christmas are a mix of festive celebration and last-minute prep, as some settle into traditions while others race to wrap up their to-do list. The “Last-minute Listers” are anxious about gifts arriving on time, and they will turn to any brand that can help them cross the finish line. This is a crucial audience during this phase; globally, 78% of those who consider a purchase on the last Saturday before Christmas are buying gifts for others, and 52% made a purchase on Christmas Eve for the against-the-wire last-minute dash.

– Betwixtmas (observational days to December 30): Between Christmas and the New Year, consumers enter an indulgent phase driven by post-holiday relief. Here, the “Self-Gifters” take matters into their own hands: 68% of UK shoppers who consider a Boxing Day purchase are buying for themselves.

– New Year (New Year’s Eve to early January): During this period, consumers shift from festive giving to self-reflection and renewal. The “Self-Improvers” are using January sales to support their resolutions, particularly in Europe, where 63% of shoppers participating in these sales are purchasing items for themselves.

Mailchimp senior manager of content strategy Jillian Ryan said: “The key to effectively reaching holiday shoppers is understanding where consumers are, physically, emotionally, and culturally, during every phase of the holiday season.

“Marketers have clear opportunities to reach customers, regardless of whether or not they’re offering deals or are operating outside of traditional shopping periods. There are all kinds of shoppers, and a single consumer can embody different archetypes as the season ebbs and flows.”