BY Kathy Crosett
Have your accounts noticed that winter holiday shoppers are already buying gifts, in-
What are the latest holiday sales growth projections?
In 2025, major research shops predicted a 2.7% to 3.7% growth rate in holiday sales. The actual rate reported by the National Retail Federation was 4.1%. The inflation rate was about 2.7% which means that the total products and services sold grew less than many people realize.
This year, so far, the inflation rate is 3.4%. The forecasted growth in retail sales ranges from 4.4% to 5.5% but will be significantly lower when inflation is taken into account. In addition, only 7% of U.S. adults anticipate spending significantly more than last year, while 28% expect their spending to be a bit higher. These data points come from a new TVB Holiday Report for 2026.
In addition, the TVB report points out that online sales will shine with an anticipated 11% boost over last year’s levels. In-
These data points mean your clients and prospects must develop outstanding ad campaigns to draw attention and win business. One way to win during the competitive holiday season is to promote gift cards and other in-
Demand for gift cards at the holidays is still strong. Remind your accounts that consumers purchased the following types of gift cards last year:
- Restaurant 27%
- Department store 25%
- Coffee shop 20%
How does late season shopping impact retailers?
Your accounts can count on plenty of revenue from shoppers who like to purchase gifts early. But they should use some of their ad budget to attract shoppers who procrastinate. NRF data shows that 50% of consumers made a gift purchase during the week just before Christmas last year.
Keep in mind that 12% of U.S. adults are Super Saturday Shoppers, those who visit stores on the last Saturday before Christmas. Around 52% of these consumers took action as a result of a streaming TV ad in the past 30 days.
What is the value of broadcast TV advertising during the holiday season?
For consumers who browse and then make a purchase in the store, TV remains a significant influence, especially when it comes later in the winter holiday season. Here is what consumers surveyed by GfK/
- TV – Broadcast and cable 43%
- Social media 10%
- Streaming video other than TV (such as YouTube) 7%
- Paid streaming TV with ads 5%
- Free streaming TV with ads 4%
- Broadcast TV web/
apps 4%
What are consumer attitudes about local broadcast TV news?
When it comes to selling advertising and building on trust, local broadcast TV news is tops with retail shoppers, coming in at 72%. For consumers who browse and purchase in-
How do consumers feel about local media?
In addition, AudienceSCAN data shows that 22% of Super Saturday Shoppers believe that local media helps them discover new businesses that have just opened. If your accounts are relatively new to the market, encourage them to run a TV-
How can your accounts maximize audience reach through local TV advertising?
Because audience attention is so fragmented these days, your accounts should expand their reach beyond basic local broadcast TV spots. That strategy will reach 78% of retail shoppers. But when advertising expands to digital devices and broadcast websites/
Help your accounts make the most of this competitive season by showing them how to allocate their local TV advertising budget across the most effective formats.
Image by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.
