When should your Christmas Marketing start

November is just a few days away and Christmas isn't far, so when do you think is the best time to start your Christmas marketing campaign? 

Is September Too Early?

Research conducted by us last year showed from a sample of 500, nearly 40% of people start buying their Christmas gifts as early as September. A large number of this even stated they purchase their gifts before this date! So, what do you think? Is September too early to start thinking about Christmas? 

If you work within retail, then September is about the right time, as shops start putting out all their Christmas stock. The same applies to marketers. A Christmas campaign takes a lot of thought and effort meaning that it needs to be considered in advance by marketing departments. For example, if you are planning on sending out Christmas gifts to your clients, then you will need to ensure you have the gifts well in advance of December. 

Our research also showed that just under 45% of respondents purchase their Christmas gifts in October or November time, with just 15% waiting until December to buy their items. There could be a number of reasons for this. Perhaps people have to save up money on a monthly basis to be able to afford Christmas which means they have to start their shopping a bit later. Alternatively, people may start their shopping early to spread out the cost of Christmas. Of course, there is always the possibility that people are either too excited or fed up of Christmas which shows why they shop early or later.

What To Consider When Planning Your Marketing Campaign

If you are working within a marketing department, then there are far fewer factors to consider. You need to consider the type of marketing campaign you will be undertaking for Christmas, and the gifts you will be sending to your clients or suppliers. This will help to determine how early, or how late, you can start your shopping. 

If you are planning on investing in promotional items, then you will want to start your marketing campaign earlier as you need to allow time for the products to be delivered to your office before you can distribute them yourself. Likewise, if you are planning an event, then you will want to start the planning stage earlier. 

So, are you a late Christmas shopper or do you buy your items well in advance? If you are considering using Christmas promotional items in your marketing campaign then we'd recommend you start your Christmas shopping sooner rather than later! Check out our special corporate Christmas gift idea section to find your perfect gift.

Main image from Pexels.com

Written by

Total Merchandise | Editoral Team

Our editorial team is drawn from a pool of experienced promotional merchandise product team members, account managers, marketers and other contributors. With such a wide range of skills and experience, they write about many aspects of promotional merchandise, wider marketing and business matters, as well as company news updates.

Connect with Total Merchandise on LinkedIn Connect with Total Merchandise on LinkedIn

Total Merchandise
Colour Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Blue Promotional Items

Colour Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Blue Promotional Items

With Blue Monday in sight, there's no better time to take a moment or two to think about the colour blue in all its glory. Because it's really not all bad, despite the n

Revealed: The Best Corporate Xmas Gifts For Your Customers In 2024

Revealed: The Best Corporate Xmas Gifts For Your Customers In 2024

Does anyone else feel like 2024 has just flown by? While it might seem slightly surreal to be thinking about corporate Xmas gifts while it's still just-about sunny

The Best Discounted Christmas Merchandise Ideas To Order Today

The Best Discounted Christmas Merchandise Ideas To Order Today

As you're probably all too aware, Black Friday is fast approaching - and so is Christmas! So in our latest blog post, we're combining the two to bring you a round-up of

Our Top 10 Best-Selling Promotional Products of 2021

Our Top 10 Best-Selling Promotional Products of 2021

With 2022 just around the corner, there's no better time to shine a light on our very best promotional products of 2021. Will we have a new winner this year, or will

Revealed: The Best-Selling Promotional Products Of 2023

Revealed: The Best-Selling Promotional Products Of 2023

It's safe to say that 2023 has been quite the year for Total Merchandise. Over the last 12 months, we've hit some major milestones, grown our team, hosted our fi

The TM Edit: Top 10 Novelty Gifts That Your Customers Will Love

The TM Edit: Top 10 Novelty Gifts That Your Customers Will Love

Are you looking for something unique to add some fun to your promotional activity? Well, we're here to help - look no further than our range of novelty giveaways for th

Revealed: The Best Corporate Food Gifts For Christmas 2024

Revealed: The Best Corporate Food Gifts For Christmas 2024

Corporate food gifts are the perfect way to leave a lasting impression with your clients this Christmas. With options to suit all budgets, we've got everything from

How Total Merchandise Supported the WellChild Awards 2024

How Total Merchandise Supported the WellChild Awards 2024

Total Merchandise was proud to recently support nationwide charity WellChild with the 2024 edition of its WellChild Awards. We always love to support and give back where

TM Edit: Best UK-Made Merch Ideas For Winter 2024

TM Edit: Best UK-Made Merch Ideas For Winter 2024

Winter is fast-approaching - and from cold weather essentials to festive gifting ideas, we've decided to round-up some of our favourite seasonal UK-made merch ideas for your