Holiday Shopping Starts Earlier, Raising the Stakes for Brands, New Attentive Research Finds

Attentive®, the omnichannel marketing platform redefining how brands and people connect, released new Consumer Pulse research revealing that holiday shopping continues to kick off well before Black Friday, with some consumers starting as early as the summer months. The survey found that 83% of consumers begin planning holiday purchases before Black Friday, while 71% plan to start shopping before the holiday shopping event, up 12 percentage points from last year. As consumers spread purchases across a longer shopping season, brands have more opportunities to influence purchase decisions by engaging customers with timely, personalized experiences throughout the journey.

83% of consumers begin planning holiday purchases before Black Friday.

The findings point to a broader shift in holiday commerce. Consumers are shopping earlier, spending more intentionally, and expecting brands to deliver experiences that reflect what their interests are, not just bigger discounts. For marketers, this means the holiday season is no longer won through a concentrated burst of promotions in November. Winning the extended holiday shopping season requires a deeper understanding of customer preferences and the ability to use AI to translate those insights into timely, one-to-one engagement.

Holiday Shopping Starts Earlier Than Ever

Black Friday may still be one of retail’s biggest shopping events, but consumers are beginning their holiday shopping before they expect holiday deals to arrive. Nearly half (46%) of shoppers start purchasing before November, yet most don’t expect brands to launch holiday promotions until November. In fact, 84% expect Black Friday Cyber Monday deals to begin before Black Friday itself, with most anticipating promotions in early November or the week leading up to Black Friday. The gap between when consumers begin shopping and when they expect discounts creates an opportunity for brands to engage shoppers and build demand well before promotional activity ramps up.

“Brands are used to treating Black Friday as the starting line for holiday marketing. This year, it will be the continuation of months of customer engagement,” said Jema Birkmeyer, Vice President of Strategic Sales at Attentive. “Consumers are discovering products, comparing options, and deciding which brands they trust long before the holiday rush. The retailers that win this holiday season will be the ones using AI to understand and deliver on individual customer preferences, serve timely, personalized experiences across every channel, and strengthen relationships well before promotions begin.”

Consumers Are Spending More Intentionally

Economic uncertainty is shaping how consumers expect to shop this holiday season. Attentive’s research found that 87% of consumers say the economy will change how they shop Black Friday Cyber Monday. As a result, shoppers plan to be more deliberate with their purchases, with 42% expecting to compare brands and retailers more before buying, 41% planning to focus on needs over wants, and 39% intending to stock up on everyday items while they’re discounted. Despite this more intentional approach, shoppers aren’t waiting for the biggest markdowns. Four in five consumers said a discount of 40% or less is enough to motivate a purchase, suggesting they’re looking for value rather than the deepest promotion.

Relevance Drives Holiday Engagement

Consumers are most likely to engage with marketing that is personalized for their interests and shopping behavior. According to the survey, 90% respond to price drop alerts on products they’re interested in, 88% respond to discounts on products they’ve recently viewed or added to their cart, and 73% respond to relevant product recommendations. Attentive also found, in its 2026 Personalization Trends Report, that 65% of shoppers are open to receiving messages more frequently if relevant.

Rather than responding to higher message volume, consumers are more receptive to holiday communications that are highly personalized, well-timed, and aligned with their shopping behavior.

With consumers approaching holiday promotions from brands more cautiously, understanding customers becomes the competitive differentiator. Brands that consistently deliver transparent pricing and personalized communications are more likely to earn trust and retain that trust throughout a competitive holiday season.