At A Glance
Holiday spending is starting earlier, shifting further online, and holding steady year-over-year. Experian’s 2023 Holiday spending trends and insights report shows promotions pulling demand into October and November, steady consumer intent across the season, and growing overlap between online and in-store journeys. For marketers, that means planning sooner, connecting channels more deliberately, and measuring performance across the full holiday window.Holiday shopping no longer starts in December. Consumers are responding to earlier promotions, moving fluidly between online and physical stores, and maintaining consistent spending despite economic uncertainty. Experian’s 2023 Holiday spending trends and insights report breaks down what’s changing and how marketers can respond.
Here are three holiday spending insights shaping the 2023 holiday season.
1. Holiday spending is starting earlier
Holiday momentum now builds well before December. Promotions tied to Cyber Week and early online deals are shifting spending into October and November, extending the window for planning and activation.
Holiday sales by month vs. holiday sales (October-December)
| October | November | December | |
| 2022 | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| 2021 | 30% | 32% | 38% |
| 2020 | 31% | 32% | 37% |
| 2019 | 30% | 33% | 38% |
Cyber Week alone accounts for 8% of total holiday spending. Early activity rewards brands that show up sooner with relevant offers and consistent messaging. Marketers that plan for earlier holiday spending stay visible throughout the entire purchase cycle.
How can you apply these holiday spending insights to your campaigns?
Reach the right shoppers with your promotions withsell-side targeting. This approach gives you control over where ads appear while supporting visibility through direct publisher connections across mobile, web, and connected TV (CTV). Earlier reach helps keep your brand present as shoppers move from browsing to buying.
2. Online holiday spending continues to grow
Shoppers are increasingly researching, comparing prices, and planning purchases online. Online holiday spending increased 1% year-over-year, while in-store activity saw a 1% year-over-year decrease.
Online vs. in-store sales in 2022 by month (October-December)
| October | November | December | |
| Online | 29% | 34% | 38% |
| In-store | 32% | 32% | 36% |
Online sales still represent about one-third of total holiday shopping, but growth opportunities remain strong, especially in categories like electronics, office supplies, and gaming. Even when purchases happen in-store, online activity often plays a role earlier in the journey.
How can you apply these holiday spending insights to your campaigns?
Support omnichannel shopping behavior with an agnostic identity graph. By connecting device and media signals, you can bring together online and offline activity, gain a clearer view of your audience, and make informed decisions about channel mix and budget allocation.
3. Holiday spending remains steady year-over-year
Holiday spending in 2023 is tracking closely with 2022, signaling consistent consumer intent throughout the season. Last year’s early promotional response in October was followed by steady spending through year end.
Year-over-year change on average consumer spending
| October | November | December | |
| 2020 vs. 2019 | 14% | 12% | 10% |
| 2021 vs. 2020 | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| 2022 vs. 2021 | 7% | 3% | 2% |
Overall holiday spending increased by 2% in 2022. That stability gives marketers room to focus on optimization and measurement, rather than reacting to short-term swings. When conditions remain consistent, it becomes easier to tie media decisions to meaningful business outcomes.
How can you apply these holiday spending insights to your campaigns?
Strengthen your strategy withdata enrichment. Adding deeper insight into shopper preferences and behaviors helps tailor messaging and maintain consistency across channels, supporting stronger connections throughout the season.
Key takeaways
Get ready for the 2025 holiday season
2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report
Download Experian’s 2025 Holiday spending trends and insights report, in collaboration with GroundTruth. Inside you’ll find:
- When shoppers plan to buy
- Why stores still drive results
- Where marketers are placing their bets
- How AI is shaping discovery
Access our full set of predictions and plan your next holiday season now.
Connect with us
FAQs
Experian’s 2023 holiday spending analysis shows shoppers starting earlier, engaging more through digital channels, and maintaining steady year-over-year spend. These behaviors extend the season and reward brands that activate sooner. For marketers, this creates a longer runway to influence demand and measure impact
Experian uses identity as the foundation to connect digital exposure with in-store and online purchase behavior. This approach allows marketers to see how holiday spending unfolds across channels rather than treating each interaction separately. The result is a clearer view of how media drives outcomes throughout the season.
Latest posts
NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Tapad, part of Experian and a global leader in digital identity resolution, and The Trade Desk, a global advertising technology leader, partnered to integrate The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution in April 2019. The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution’s objective is to serve as a standardized cookie ID to help marketers reach more of their audience on the open internet. After an initial six month period, Tapad reports significant adoption rates and enhanced customer results since their joint integration in April. As a result of the partnership, client brands, agencies, DMPs/ DSPs, Data Providers, Mobile Networks and Measurement/Analytics Providers, saw increased match rates up to 38% and more global coverage without compromising precision. With this combined offering, Tapad’s global, privacy-safe digital cross-device solution, The Tapad Graph, connects brands with consumers over 4 billion devices globally. Over 25 companies who license The Tapad Graph, such as Annalect, Semasio, Retargetly, and ThinkCX, have also included The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution as a key identifier in their graph output. “The vast improvement in scale that Tapad has seen illustrates the value digital identity resolution products can bring for brands,” said Nate Gawel, General Manager of Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk. “We’re looking forward to continuing work with Tapad to prove that the open internet can deliver the very same benefits many reserve for large platforms.” Adoption of the unified ID solution allows all parties across the supply chain (SSPs, DSPs, DMPs and data providers) to utilize The Trade Desk’s cookie footprint to increase their own cookie coverage across the global independent internet. For more information, please visit The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution site, or https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync to learn more about Tapad’s digital identity resolution products. About Tapad:Tapad, Inc. is a global leader in digital identity resolution. The Tapad Graph, and its related solutions, provide a transparent, privacy-safe approach connecting brands to consumers through their devices globally. Our one-of-a-kind Graph Select offering enables marketers the flexibility and freedom of choice to correlate devices to varied objectives, driving campaign effectiveness and business results. Tapad is recognized across the industry for its product innovation, workplace culture and talent, and has earned numerous awards including One World Identity’s 2019 Top 100 Influencers in Identity Award. Headquartered in New York, Tapad also has offices in Chicago, London, Oslo, Singapore and Tokyo. About The Trade Desk:The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Contact us today
Gen Z is ready to be noticed and become a force to be reckoned with in the market. In the auto market alone, Gen Z made up 3.8 percent of all new vehicle registrations in the first quarter of 2019.
As ever, marketers have to be strategic to reach the right customers. Ensure seasonal messaging reaches the right customers with audience optimization.