This holiday shopping season, marketers will look to take advantage of the surge in spending across channels like connected TV (CTV), programmatic, and mobile. Despite challenges such as privacy regulations and Google’s new cookie deprecation plan, this moment presents a unique opportunity for marketers to reshape their traditional approaches to consumer engagement and capitalize on these changes.
As we approach the holiday season, understanding how consumers spend, where they shop, and how their shopping habits are changing are key components to consider when crafting your holiday advertising campaigns. Our 2024 Holiday spending trends and insights report utilizes our expertise in data and insights to highlight emerging consumer behaviors and spending patterns. In our report, we share what these trends mean for marketers and how Experian can help, so you can refine your messaging and target the right audience through the best channels.
In this blog post, we cover three insights from our report. Watch our video for a recap below.
1. Consumers are shopping evenly throughout the holiday season
35% of holiday shopping was done in December, peaking at 9% of total holiday sales the week before Christmas. Cyber Week, the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, and the week before Christmas brought the highest weekly sales for the past two holiday seasons.
What this means for marketers
Prepare for an extended promotional period. Schedule your marketing campaigns and sales initiatives to maximize impact during the extended season, focusing on the peaks of Cyber Week and the week before Christmas.
How Experian can help you target these shoppers
Experian’s data, ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset, offers advertisers the ability to reach people based on demographic, geographic, and behavioral attributes (e.g. websites visited and purchase history). Our audiences are available on-the-shelf of most major platforms, making it easy for you to activate and target holiday shoppers.
We recently released 19 new holiday-focused audience segments. Here are a few you can activate:
- Black Friday Shoppers
- Cyber Monday Shoppers
- Big Box/Club Store Shoppers
- Luxury Gift Shoppers
- Discount Holiday Shoppers
- Holiday Airline Travel
2. Online shopping is leveling out
Online holiday spending continues to remain around a third of all holiday shopping spending.
We are starting to see online shopping slow and level out – people are going back in-store. The high amount of online shopping we saw during the pandemic is starting to return to pre-pandemic behaviors.
Consumers are spending more in-store at department and discount stores but are shopping online for office/electronics/games, mass retailers, and apparel.
- 84% of holiday shopping was done in-store for discount stores.
- 79% of holiday shopping was done in-store for department stores.
- 64% of holiday shopping was done online for office, electronics, and games stores.
What this means for marketers
Digital and physical experiences work together. Retailers should have a multi-channel plan to reach consumers, tailoring their approach to their target audience and product and creating engaging in-store experiences to drive visitors.
How Experian can help you target and measure across channels
We connect online and offline data to enable precise targeting and measurement of marketing efforts across multiple channels. Read our case study with Cuebiq to learn how they used our Activity Feed solution to deliver in-store lift analyses to their clients.
3. CTV is the top channel to reach consumers
Over two-thirds of the U.S. population now use CTV, and the average time spent among adults is expected to surpass two hours per day in 2024. CTV offers a creative ad experience similar to its linear counterpart but provides more sophisticated targeting and analytics capabilities.
What this means for marketers
As CTV viewing continues to dominate, the importance of cross-device targeting and measurement increases.
How Experian can help you reach shoppers across devices
Later this year, we’ll add support for IPv6 in our Digital Graph as well as phone-based UID2s. This is in addition to our current coverage of IPv4 and email-based UID2s. As a result, all IP signals and UID2s will be resolved back to Experian’s household and individual profiles and their associated devices, which means marketers and platforms can better understand the full customer journey and reach people across their devices.
Download our 2024 Holiday spending trends and insights report
This holiday season is about more than just transactions – it’s about cultivating meaningful connections with your audience. Download our 2024 Holiday spending trends and insights report to access all of our predictions for this year’s holiday season.
When you work with Experian for your holiday shopping campaigns, you’re getting:
- Accurate consumer insights: Better understand your customers’ behavioral and demographic attributes with our #1 ranked data covering the full U.S. population.
- Signal-agnostic identity solutions: Our deep understanding of people in the offline and digital worlds provides you a persistent linkage of personally identifiable information (PII) data and digital IDs, ensuring you accurate cross-device targeting, addressability and measurement.
- Secure connectivity: Bring data and identity to life in a way that meets your needs by securely sharing data between partners, utilizing the integrations we have across the ecosystem, and using our marketing data in flexible ways.
Make the most of this holiday shopping season with Experian. Contact us today to get started.
Latest posts
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam vitae nibh eu massa cursus eleifend quis in quam. Nunc mollis aliquam eros sed laoreet. Suspendisse et elit ut metus elementum aliquet ut sit amet metus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Pellentesque fringilla, nibh eget convallis scelerisque, nisl nisl vestibulum ipsum, sit amet placerat neque nunc eget nisi. Cras cursus, sapien non interdum mollis, nibh augue efficitur eros, eget congue tellus nulla id lectus. Nullam vestibulum vitae erat sit amet mollis. Sed gravida tortor nec nibh blandit ultrices. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nam justo lectus, tempus a velit at, tempus malesuada est. Aenean dictum tellus id lorem venenatis, quis sodales nisl tempus. In quis libero id est rhoncus dictum. Praesent ipsum dui, mattis vel augue ut, lacinia ultricies ex. Suspendisse sit amet gravida purus. Vivamus tempus tellus augue, ac placerat arcu efficitur non. Nam auctor at nulla sed porta. Vivamus lobortis eu nunc a efficitur. Vestibulum condimentum ante nec nisi imperdiet vulputate. Duis varius metus ac est fermentum congue. Aenean tincidunt ut erat non pharetra. Nulla elit orci, semper sed porttitor ac, convallis vitae velit. Praesent egestas blandit ullamcorper. Praesent a porta lectus. Aliquam et pellentesque lectus. Integer placerat mauris risus, ut semper dui commodo at. Vivamus efficitur pharetra ligula id rhoncus. Pellentesque gravida purus vitae viverra luctus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; In vitae augue nec odio fermentum ultrices a sed libero. Nulla ullamcorper nulla id sagittis convallis. Pellentesque cursus metus et orci iaculis, non laoreet nisi aliquam. Proin porta velit risus, ac ultricies lectus tincidunt at. Pellentesque scelerisque ullamcorper euismod. Phasellus eget velit malesuada, faucibus enim a, ultrices ante. Morbi ut diam non metus interdum placerat gravida quis arcu. Integer ultricies molestie nulla sed convallis. Curabitur mi dui, aliquam vel nibh rutrum, convallis tempor lacus. Cras porttitor laoreet varius. Ut tincidunt massa congue mauris lobortis euismod. Pellentesque a odio ut est consequat tristique ut in mi. Nullam sed ultricies justo, eu varius eros. Nunc ipsum nulla, vehicula at sagittis a, ornare ut nisi. Aenean imperdiet felis at aliquet porta. Nunc sed leo ut justo efficitur aliquet. Sed et urna vel urna maximus laoreet. In facilisis porttitor nisi in sagittis. Fusce magna sapien, molestie ac maximus eu, tincidunt sit amet massa. Praesent non mauris metus. Aliquam dapibus sit amet tortor at scelerisque. Ut vel dolor at nisi rhoncus finibus auctor non velit. Integer pellentesque venenatis diam, nec eleifend ipsum pellentesque quis. Vivamus vitae mi nisl. Curabitur lectus orci, ornare et ipsum venenatis, sagittis blandit mauris. FAQs Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam vitae nibh eu massa cursus eleifend quis in quam. Nunc mollis aliquam eros sed laoreet. Suspendisse et elit ut metus elementum aliquet ut sit amet metus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Pellentesque fringilla, nibh eget convallis scelerisque, nisl nisl vestibulum ipsum, sit amet placerat neque nunc eget nisi. Cras cursus, sapien non interdum mollis, nibh augue efficitur eros, eget congue tellus nulla id lectus. Nullam vestibulum vitae erat sit amet mollis. Sed gravida tortor nec nibh blandit ultrices. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nam justo lectus, tempus a velit at, tempus malesuada est. Aenean dictum tellus id lorem venenatis, quis sodales nisl tempus. In quis libero id est rhoncus dictum. Praesent ipsum dui, mattis vel augue ut, lacinia ultricies ex. Suspendisse sit amet gravida purus. Vivamus tempus tellus augue, ac placerat arcu efficitur non. Nam auctor at nulla sed porta. Vivamus lobortis eu nunc a efficitur. Vestibulum condimentum ante nec nisi imperdiet vulputate. Duis varius metus ac est fermentum congue. Aenean tincidunt ut erat non pharetra. Nulla elit orci, semper sed porttitor ac, convallis vitae velit. Praesent egestas blandit ullamcorper. Praesent a porta lectus. Aliquam et pellentesque lectus. Integer placerat mauris risus, ut semper dui commodo at. Vivamus efficitur pharetra ligula id rhoncus. Pellentesque gravida purus vitae viverra luctus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; In vitae augue nec odio fermentum ultrices a sed libero. Nulla ullamcorper nulla id sagittis convallis.
In our Ask the Expert Series, we interview leaders from our partner organizations who are helping lead their brands to new heights in AdTech. Today’s interview is with Ben Smith, VP of Product, Data Products at Infillion. Adapting to signal loss What does the Experian–Infillion integration mean for advertisers looking to reach audiences as signals fade? As cookies and mobile identifiers disappear, brands need a new way to find and reach their audiences. The Experian integration strengthens Infillion’s XGraph, a cookieless, interoperable identity graph that supports all major ID frameworks, unifying people and households across devices with privacy compliance, by providing a stronger identity foundation with household- and person-level data. This allows us to connect the dots deterministically and compliantly across devices and channels, including connected TV (CTV). The result is better match rates on your first-party data, more scalable reach in cookieless environments, and more effective frequency management across every screen. Connecting audiences across channels How does Experian’s Digital Graph strengthen Infillion’s ability to deliver addressable media across channels like CTV and mobile? Experian strengthens the household spine of XGraph, which means we can accurately connect CTV impressions to the people and devices in that home – then extend those connections to mobile and web. This lets us plan, activate, and measure campaigns at the right level: household for CTV, and person or device for mobile and web. The outcome is smarter reach, less waste from over-frequency, and campaigns that truly work together across channels. The value of earned attention Infillion has long championed “guaranteed attention” in advertising. How does that philosophy translate into measurable outcomes for brands? Our engagement formats, such as TrueX, are based on a simple principle: attention should be earned, not forced. Viewers choose to engage with the ad and complete an action, which means every impression represents real, voluntary attention rather than passive exposure. Because of that, we consistently see stronger completion rates, deeper engagement, and clearer downstream results – like lower acquisition costs, improved on-site behavior, and measurable brand lift. To take that a step further, we measure attention through UpLift, our real-time brand lift tool. UpLift helps quantify how exposure to a campaign influences awareness, consideration, or purchase intent, providing a more complete picture of how earned attention translates into business impact. Creative innovation and location insights Beyond identity resolution, what are some of Infillion’s capabilities, like advanced creative formats or location-based insights, that set you apart in the market? One key area is location intelligence, which combines privacy-safe geospatial insights with location-based targeting through our proprietary geofencing technology. This allows us to build custom, data-driven campaigns that connect media exposure to real-world outcomes – like store visits and dwell time – measured through Arrival, our in-house footfall attribution product. We also build custom audiences using a mix of zero-party survey data, first-party location-based segments, and bespoke audience builds aligned to each advertiser’s specific strategy. Then there’s creative innovation, which is a major differentiator for us. Our high-impact formats go beyond static display, such as interactive video units that let viewers explore products through hotspots or carousels, rich-media ads that feature polls, quizzes, dynamic distance, or gamified elements, and immersive experiences that encourage active participation rather than passive viewing. These creative formats not only capture attention but also generate deeper engagement and stronger performance for a variety of KPIs. Future ready media strategies How does Infillion’s ID-agnostic approach help brands future-proof their media strategies amid ongoing privacy and tech changes? We don’t put all our eggs in one basket. XGraph securely unifies multiple durable identifiers alongside our proprietary TrueX supply to strengthen CTV household reach. This agnostic design allows us to adapt as platforms, regulations, and browsers evolve – so you can preserve reach and measurement capabilities without getting locked into a single ID or losing coverage when the next signal deprecates. Raising the bar for media accountability Looking ahead, how is Infillion evolving its platform to meet the next wave of challenges in audience engagement and media accountability? From an engagement standpoint, we’re expanding our ability to support the full customer journey, offering ad experiences that move seamlessly from awareness to consideration to conversion. That includes smarter creative that adapts to context, intelligent targeting and retargeting informed by real data, and formats designed to drive measurable outcomes rather than just impressions. When it comes to accountability, we’re ensuring that measurement is both flexible and credible. In addition to our proprietary tools, we partner with leading third-party measurement providers to validate results and give advertisers confidence that their investment is truly performing. Within our DSP, we emphasize full transparency and log-level data access, ensuring advertisers can see exactly what’s happening on every impression. All of this builds toward the next era of agentic media buying – one enabled by our MCP suite and modular, component-based tools. This evolution brings greater accountability and next-generation audience engagement to an increasingly automated, intelligent media landscape. Our goal is to help brands connect more meaningfully with audiences while holding every impression – and every outcome – to a higher standard of transparency and effectiveness. Driving impact across the funnel What is a success story or use cases that demonstrate the impact of the Experian–Infillion integration? We recently partnered with a national veterans’ organization to raise awareness of its programs for injured or ill veterans and their families. Using the Experian integration, we combined persistent household- and person-level identifiers with cross-device activation to reach veteran and donor audiences more precisely across CTV, display, and rich media. The campaign achieved standout results – industry-leading engagement rates, a 99% video completion rate, and measurable lifts in both brand awareness (3.6 % increase) and donation consideration (13.7% lift). It’s a clear example of how stronger identity and smarter activation can drive meaningful outcomes across the full funnel. Contact us Identity resolution FAQs Why is identity resolution critical for CTV and cross-channel campaigns? Identity resolution ensures accurate connections between devices, households, and individuals. Experian's Offline Identity Resolution and Digital Graph strengthen these connections for improved targeting and consistent measurement across CTV, mobile, and web. What strategies help address the loss of cookies and mobile IDs? Solutions like Experian's Digital Graph enable brands to connect first-party data to household and person-level identifiers, ensuring scalable reach and compliant audience targeting legacy signals fade. How can engagement translate into measurable results? Focusing on earned attention (where audiences actively choose to engage) leads to stronger completion rates, improves on-site behavior, and drives measurable increases in brand awareness and consideration. What makes cross-channel targeting more effective? By linking CTV impressions to households and extending those connections to mobile and web, Experian's identity solutions ensure campaigns work together seamlessly, reducing over-frequency and improving overall reach. About our expert Ben Smith VP Product, Data Products, Infillion Ben Smith leads Infillion’s Data Products organization, delivering identity, audience, and measurement solutions across the platform. Previously, he was CEO and co-founder of Fysical, a location intelligence startup acquired by Infillion in 2019. About Infillion Infillion is the first fully composable advertising platform, built to solve the challenges of complexity, fragmentation, and opacity in the digital media ecosystem. With MediaMath at its core, Infillion’s modular approach enables advertisers to seamlessly integrate or independently deploy key components—including demand, data, creative, and supply. This flexibility allows brands, agencies, commerce and retail media networks, and resellers to create tailored, high-performance solutions without the constraints of traditional, all-or-nothing legacy systems. Latest posts
Kevin Dunn shares his thoughts after 30 days as Experian’s new Chief Revenue Officer.