Brands test new marketing strategies ahead of Valentine’s Day surge: Spending on the romantic holiday will increase thanks to single and coupled consumers.

More US consumers than ever say they aren’t spending on the holidays: The expected rebound in holiday shopping hides the fact that many consumers are keeping their wallets closed, while others are turning to buy now, pay later plans for gifts they can’t afford.

Holiday sales in the UK this year will grow by 8.1% from last year, with ecommerce sales growth rates stabilizing after spiking in 2020.

The 2020 holiday season’s unprecedented ecommerce surge helped total US retail spending remain positive, setting the tone for healthy outlook for 2021 holiday season growth.

Holiday ecommerce sales will rise 14.4% this year, with online channels comprising 18.4% of all spending this November and December.

This will be a tough year for holiday season retail in the UK. Shoppers will spend less in 2020, and much of their spend will fall outside the traditional November–December time frame, leading to the lowest holiday retail sales total since 2015.

eMarketer was pleased to moderate a Tech-Talk Webinar featuring Epsilon's Liz Buderus, vice president of product management, and Sarah LaCourse, senior director, strategic consulting. They shared insights from Epsilon’s own data set around historical spending during elections—and how marketers can be proactive with their 2020 holiday planning around the election.

Digital retail will have a huge impact on UK shopper trends in the coming holiday season. This year, ecommerce will account for nearly a third of all holiday spending, its largest share to date. Brick-and- mortar shopping, meanwhile, remains on the precipice.

Holidays and key shopping events—like Argentina’s Hot Sale, Mexico’s Buen Fin, or Black Friday—are important times to invest in retail media since brands can reach consumers they otherwise would have missed.

And 35% and 30% of consumers plan to stretch their holiday spending budget using credit cards and buy now, pay later (BNPL) offerings, respectively, per Deloitte.