Where Do Holiday Shoppers Turn for Gift Inspiration — and What Do They Plan To Buy This Year?

It’s not exactly breaking news that the holiday shopping season remains the most important time of the year for brands and retailers — with consistently growing potential year after year.

Global sales reached a staggering — but not surprising — $1.17 trillion during the 2023 holiday season, up 3% year-over-year, according to Salesforce. Encouragingly, some analysts’ early projections suggest a similar year-over-year growth rate in 2024.

But why bring this up now?

Brands that make the most of the holiday season understand just how vital gift inspiration can be during the buyer’s journey to purchase — particularly regarding the holiday timeline. With most customers increasingly starting their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, it’s not unlikely that the early stages of their journeys might start in October (or earlier).

Done well, prepared brands can effectively engage shoppers from the moment they even begin considering gift ideas, all while ensuring they are well-positioned to convert their potential interest into sales.

Here’s a closer look at some relevant insights from Salsify’s “2024 Holiday Consumer Research” report, including popular sources of gift inspiration, the gift categories with the most holiday potential, and best practices for making the most of the holiday season — before it even starts.

Where Shoppers Find Gift Inspiration

A great artist may find inspiration in a museum, a concert hall, or nature. Thankfully, consumers tend to be a little easier to excite.  

While many shoppers might wait until the last minute before making their holiday purchases, most are turning to a wide range of channels for gift inspiration, typically taking extra care to ensure that their gift purchases will delight the recipient.

Salsify’s holiday consumer research surveyed 1,026 U.S. and U.K. shoppers about what resources they typically consult for gift ideas.

The top gift inspiration sources include:

• Physical retail stores
• Online marketplaces
• Search engines
• Social media

Physical Retail Stores

As the popularity of ecommerce continues to rise, it’s worth noting that the most popular channel for gift inspiration remains the good old-fashioned brick-and-mortar store.

Most shoppers across generational lines said physical retail stores are a major source of gift inspiration: It was the top source of gift inspiration for Gen Xers and Gen Zers (62% and 58%, respectively) while remaining popular with millennials and baby boomers (53%). 

Online Marketplaces

Close on its heels for second place were online marketplaces like Amazon or Target, where customers can quickly search for features, prices, and availability from the comfort of their homes. Solid majorities across generational lines reported engaging in such research during the holiday season.

Search Engines

Search engines like Google ranked third on the list, as they’re less popular among the more mature end of the generational scale. Only 41% of baby boomers and 47% of Gen Xers reported engaging in traditional search-engine-based research. However, Gen Zers and millennials are about 10 to 20% more likely to use these services.

Social Media

Among the channels with the largest generational skew is — you guessed it — social media.

While 54% of Gen Zers and 45% of millennials reported consulting platforms like TikTok or Instagram for gift ideas, only 27% of Gen Xers and a measly 12% of baby boomers say they would consult these channels.

The takeaway? Whatever their age or shopping styles, customers will spend across a wide range of channels this holiday season — and brands will need to deliver engaging, informative, and omnichannel content to cast the widest, most effective net. 

What Are The Most Popular Verticals for Holiday Gifts?

While all brands have holiday sales potential, a few stand-out verticals were identified in Salsify’s survey that appear optimally positioned for success this year. 

Of all shoppers, 57% said they planned to purchase fashion and apparel gifts — the number one result in Salsify’s survey — closely followed by personal care and beauty (53%) and, perhaps surprisingly, trailed by electronics in third (49%). 

The next biggest categories included food and beverage (44%) and alcohol (37%), followed by the toy and baby category at 33%.

If your brand operates in one of these spaces, you must start planning as soon as possible to make the most of the holiday season. And even if you don’t, the data still underscores an important point: Shoppers will make all kinds of purchases during the holiday season, and your omnichannel content will most likely stand as the deciding factor in any purchase. 

Image Source: Salsify Holiday Consumer Research

Of all shoppers, 57% said they planned to purchase fashion and apparel gifts — the number one result in Salsify’s survey — closely followed by personal care and beauty (53%) and, perhaps surprisingly, trailed by electronics in third (49%).

The next biggest categories included food and beverage (44%) and alcohol (37%), followed by the toy and baby category at 33%.

If your brand operates in one of these spaces, you must start planning as soon as possible to make the most of the holiday season. And even if you don’t, the data still underscores an important point: Shoppers will make all kinds of purchases during the holiday season, and your omnichannel content will most likely stand as the deciding factor in any purchase. 

4 Brand Strategies for Gift Inspiration in 2024

When customers are researching your brand for holiday gift inspiration, what they’re really doing is asking questions like: "Will my mother like this?" "Can I afford this?" "Will it arrive by Christmas?" "Does it come in an extra small?"

A successful holiday campaign requires you to ensure your products not only address your consumers’ needs but that every interaction clearly and compellingly communicates those benefits. Here are four best practices to keep in mind as you gear up for year-end sales. 

1. Balance Price and Quality

Consumers are interested in finding the best bang for their buck — but not necessarily at the expense of quality.

Instead, consumers look for deals where price and quality neatly align. One Google study found that more than four out of five Black Friday and Cyber Monday U.S. shoppers said getting the best value or price was important when making purchase decisions — though the same amount claimed to value quality, too.

To put a twist on poet John Lydgate’s (and later Lincoln’s) adage: You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

However, it remains a good rule of thumb when developing end-of-year campaigns. One creative approach includes considering other means of adding value to a promotion that doesn’t necessarily hinge on price point, for example, offering free shipping. 

2. Provide Comprehensive Info

Remember, when browsing on the digital shelf, consumers won’t have access to a nearby retail associate to ask a quick question or be able to hold the product in their hands. That’s why your product detail pages (PDPs) should, ideally, address every conceivable consideration or doubt a consumer might have about their potential purchase.

While the best approach will vary from product to product, generally, more information is almost always better: high-quality images, detailed product specifications, and other innovative elements like immersive augmented reality (AR) can help bridge that gap between the physical and digital shopping experience. 

3. Offer Social Proof

Effective social proof — prominently displayed on your PDPs — can go a long way in reassuring shoppers that your product will be a slam dunk with its intended recipient.

Featuring customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials can build trust and credibility with your prospective customers, all while gently guiding them along the journey to purchase. Additionally, showcasing user-generated content (UGC), such as photos and videos from satisfied customers, can provide an additional touch of authenticity and relatability. 

4. Stay Cross-Channel Surfing

Shoppers are increasingly blending both real- and digital-world experiences when making purchase decisions. Indeed, Salsify’s research found that every generation group finds gift inspiration in both online and offline spaces.

You may hear a lot about the importance of having a comprehensive omnichannel strategy, but it’s especially critical during the holiday season. Don’t silo your content in just one channel — meet consumers everywhere they are, and ensure that any product content they come across is consistent, accurate, and of impressive quality. 

Become the Muse of Choice for Your Holiday Shoppers

By leveraging these insights and strategies, brands can well-position themselves as the go-to choice for holiday shoppers seeking the perfect gift in their particular vertical.

Keep providing customers with the information they need, on whatever touch points they may interact with your brand. With the right planning and execution, your brand will have a lot to be excited about after the holiday shopping season ends.