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The 2024 Retail Holiday Planning Guide

Learn to use data and AI to create holiday moments that keep shoppers loyal.

Are you holiday-ready?

The retail year hangs on holidays, from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, from Fourth of July to Halloween, and of course, all those year-end celebrations around the world. It’s a lot of pressure — ordering the right inventory for the right season, offering enticing discounts and promotions, and providing personalised attention to every shopper to keep them coming back.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: In the 2024 Retail Holiday Planning Guide, we reveal the key to winning peak holiday season (psst! It’s data!) and show you four ways to stand out to shoppers this year.

Economic uncertainty and changing consumer behaviors are exposing a complicated reality. For retailers, it’s never been more important to deliver excellent customer experiences alongside competitive prices on in-stock products. But even in a best-case scenario, a major shift in consumer sentiment is likely. What does that mean for retailers as they prepare for the 2022 holiday shopping season?

“Inflation has finally caught up to bullish spending, with consumers buying fewer items from fewer retailers. This likely isn’t a temporary mindset, but instead a signal of a larger consumer behavioral shift towards value and convenience. For retailers to address this, it’s not about physical versus digital, but rather finding ways for channels to work symbiotically to attract and retain loyal shoppers.”
– Rob Garf, VP and GM, Retail at Salesforce

“Inflation has finally caught up to bullish spending, with consumers buying fewer items from fewer retailers. This likely isn’t a temporary mindset, but instead a signal of a larger consumer behavioral shift towards value and convenience. For retailers to address this, it’s not about physical versus digital, but rather finding ways for channels to work symbiotically to attract and retain loyal shoppers.”

-Rob Garf, VP and GM, Retail at Salesforce

As companies try to drive profitable growth by optimizing their promotional calendars, they’re asking one question: How can we attract new shoppers and keep existing customers coming back for more? This year, retailers will focus on developing data acquisition strategies, bridging the physical-digital divide, and building stronger business partnerships. But on a larger scale, they’ll need to put as much investment into the post-purchase experience as they do the path-to-purchase, pairing test-and-learn strategies with proven revenue drivers like flash sales and special promotions.

Here we share the insights and strategies you’ll need to prepare for your peak demand events, from the holiday shopping season to door-busting special events.