October: The Decisive Month To Capture Holiday Shoppers

In October, customers set their budgets, compare brands, and make their first purchases. Whether retailers are leading a global strategy or running campaigns for a smaller brand, understanding this change is critical. Waiting until Black Friday (BF) or Cyber Monday (CM) to act can mean missing the moment shoppers are most open to engaging.

The 2025 Holiday season is being defined by an earlier start, greater price sensitivity, and new expectations for brand quality. October is no longer a warm-up but the month when purchase intent crystallizes. Brands that show up early with relevant, credible, and omnichannel strategies will capture attention and loyalty before the peak days even arrive.

• Customers start sooner: 64% will begin before Halloween, and early shoppers show higher retention rates later in the season.
• Motivation goes beyond discounts: While 66% act for deals, others shop early for availability (30%) and want better quality (38%).
• Loyalty is up for grabs: 54% of shoppers are open to new brands if they find more value.
• Omnichannel behavior is the norm: 84% check online prices in-store, demanding consistency across channels and in-store experiences.
• Relevance beats volume: Fatigue sets in by October; personalized offers and AI-powered orchestration are key to engagement.

See the complete Pre-Holiday 2025 Shopping Report.

October Is the New Black Friday

For years, the retail calendar revolved around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In 2024, U.S. shoppers spent over $41 billion across Thanksgiving, with Cyber Monday alone breaking records at $13.3 billion in online sales (Adobe Analytics, 2024). But those numbers don't reflect a profound behavioral change: by the time BF and CM deals go live and purchases are made, consumers have already been researching, comparing, and buying weeks before.

According to Optimove's holiday shopping predictions for 2025, based on data from more than 5 million customers active during the 2023–2024 holiday seasons and a survey of 345 U.S. adults, almost two-thirds of consumers (64%) will begin shopping before Halloween. In fact, 41% say they don’t intend to wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

The data also reveals that shoppers who buy earlier in October tend to remain more engaged with the brand throughout the holiday season, and possibly even shop more often.In addition, the retention rate reached its peak at the last week of October, not during Black Week, as marketers may assume.

This new behavior calls for new strategies. October has become the month when purchase intent crystallizes, and brands that once relied on big late-November promotions to capture holiday shoppers' attention should no longer assume that shoppers will wait for them.

The Motivations Behind Earlier Shopping

Data from the same Pre-Holiday 2025 Shopping Report shows that more than 80% of consumers are concerned about tariffs and inflation. It is not surprising that 66% of earlier holiday shoppers are motivated by discounts, 37% are willing to switch brands, and 57% choose an unplanned store when offered better prices.

Customers, however, are looking for more than lower prices and discounts alone. In fact, 30% plan to start their holiday purchases earlier in search of better product availability, and 38% say they could switch brands if offered better product quality. This indicates that shoppers are not only targeting the best deal possible but also the best value for money,evaluating the price and quality of the product before buying it.

Since 54% of consumers are open to purchasing from new brands, this presents a critical opportunity for retailers to position themselves as the preferred choice.

5 Holiday Marketing Strategies to Attract Customers Early On

It is clear that the earlier brands kick off their holiday season marketing strategy, the better.

The latest findings highlight five key recommendations for holiday marketing success:

1. Get to know your customer: 55% of respondents said that receiving offers based on past purchases is essential, and 31% consider it very important. This points to the increasing expectation for brands to use purchase history and product preferences to tailor offers and avoid useless, unwanted interactions.
2. Win the switchers: More than half of Holiday Shoppers are open to trying new brands and stores. To capture them, brands should showcase their best-selling products with competitive pricing, credible discounts, and strong customer reviews or testimonials. This approach builds trust and persuades comparison shoppers to choose their brand over competitors.
3. Be prepared to go Omnichannel: Though this may seem outdated, 'being Omnichannel' nowadays is not only about 'selling online and offline' but also having price coherence, stock availability, and in-store experiences. As 84% of shoppers check online prices while shopping in-store, be prepared to catch and convince these shoppers.
4. Take 'Marketing fatigue' seriously: Avoid flooding customers with irrelevant messages. Data shows that engagement is driven by relevance (39%), special offers (23%), and personalized messaging (20%).
5. Use AI: AI-powered journey orchestration enables marketers to deliver the right messages to the right customers at the right time.

In Summary

Holiday shopping has shifted decisively into October. Shoppers are motivated by discounts, availability, and quality, and are open to switching brands if they find better value. Brands must adapt by launching strategies earlier, focusing on personalization, maintaining omnichannel consistency, and managing marketing fatigue.

Retailers that combine relevance, credibility, and smart use of AI will capture early attention and build stronger customer relationships throughout the 2025 holiday season.

For more insights on marketing throughout the holiday shopping season, contact us to request a demo.