Holiday Shopping 2024: Key Trends and Predictions

Holiday 2024 shopping is starting earlier than ever with shoppers setting their budgets and retailers preparing for the Q4 boom. In a recent proprietary survey of 15,000 shoppers, we unwrapped their 2024 holiday shopping intentions and plans, discovering the insights that advertisers can use to make the most of this high-stakes holiday season.

We’re breaking down consumer intentions and bringing you actionable insights into how affiliate marketing can turn browsers into buyers. The key to success this holiday season will be capturing the attention of buyers of all ages and income levels through the affiliate channel, whether adding an affiliate strategy to your existing marketing mix or using that extra budget to test out new affiliate partners and strategies.

Shoppers are starting earlier than ever

There has been a significant creep year over year in consumer holiday shopping start dates. Compared to 2023, shoppers are starting even earlier. We found that of shoppers surveyed are starting their holiday shopping in October, with the majority planning to do the bulk of their shopping in November. Despite the early start, many shoppers plan to wrap up their holiday gifting in December.

Pro Tip: start your holiday campaigns early, focusing on pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to capture those eager shoppers. It’s a win-win, early shoppers get the best pick of available products, and you get sustained sales throughout the season.

Consumer preferences are shifting

While year-over-year trends remain relatively stable, there are several key shifts in how consumers are shopping for, and paying for, their holiday gifts. Overall spending has increased compared to 2023, but consumers are still looking for ways to save and stretch the value of their money.

Preference for Discounts and Free Shipping

The top motivating factors for online purchases during the holiday season are discount offers and free shipping%  of men are motivated by free shipping. 

We have seen an uptick in consumer desire for unique deals compared to years prior. There is a growing influence of exclusive holiday bundles and limited-time offers, especially with the rise in beauty holiday-specific bundles being shared by high-impact influencers.

Pro-tip: Partner with publishers that will highlight your specific holiday offerings. From free shipping to beauty bundles, a content, coupon, or cashback partner can be a valuable asset to getting the right offers in front of the right audiences at the right time.

Buy-now-pay-later is on the rise

With the high cost associated with the holiday season, North American BNPL players like Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm have been building up their brand presence with key retail players across apparel, beauty, home, and tech brands to provide their customers with alternative ways to pay.

Adoption for BNPL has seen a steady increase over the past several years, up several percentage points from 2022 , proving the valuable impact these publishers can have on shopping payments. In fact, 50% of consumers who plan to spend over $1000 intend to use some form of BNPL solutions.

Pro-tip: If you’re not using a BNPL provider as a payment method on your website, consider your audience and their needs to see if a partnership with these publishers could generate additional sales during the holiday shopping season.

Inspiration strikes everywhere

Consumers are looking for inspiration for holiday gift-giving from all angles, and influencers are taking more of the share of voice. From traditional gift guides and affiliate links to short-form video series sharing “the best gifts for your sister, boyfriend, or , consumers are looking to influencers to make finding the perfect gift easier.

There is no question that influencer marketing has become a major player in all digital marketing channels, but the impact of combining affiliate and influencer marketing is growing exponentially. Creator networks, influencer agencies, and affiliate networks are working together  more than ever to build comprehensive, trackable, campaigns that prove incremental value for all. For those who purchase from influencers, 82% of them are also members of websites that offer rewards, cash back, or other benefits.

Pro tip: Go beyond the ordinary and leverage influencer marketing partners to create a campaign with top influencers that resonates with your intended audience.

As we prepare for the busy Q4 season, holiday shopping will continue to be a crucial driver of business success for brands, publishers, and agencies alike. To outperform your goals this holiday season, prioritize affiliate marketing strategies to help grab customers’ attention from the point of inspiration to purchase.

In September 2024, Rakuten Advertising surveyed 15,000 US consumers about their holiday shopping plans and expectations. Respondents aged 18-70 were equally split between men and women with incomes over $25k a year.