5 Ways Retailers Can Use the Holiday Season as a Launch Point for 2025

The holiday shopping season can influence more than end-of-year revenue — it can serve as a catalyst for retailers’ success in the new year.

First-time and returning shoppers alike emerge in droves during the holiday season, but they can just as quickly disappear when the holidays are over. And most of them are gone without a trace — with 79 percent of Black Friday shoppers flying under the radar — or remaining unidentified to retailers, according to Bluecore’s 2023 Black Friday Benchmark Report.

Retailers can’t effectively communicate with shoppers and drive future sales without first knowing who shoppers are. This holiday season, the retailers that prioritize knowing who their customers are, rather than solely focusing on driving purchases over the line, will reap the benefits long after the holidays are over.

The more retailers can recognize their shoppers, the more equipped they will be to tailor the shopping experience to their preferences and behaviors — and drive repeat purchases as a result. In fact, retailers see an average spending leap of 69 percent between first and subsequent purchases, and once a customer buys twice, the likelihood they buy a third time goes up by 95 percent.

Here are five ways retailers can continue the momentum of the holiday season into the new year and beyond:

1. Get to know new holiday shoppers.

The holidays tend to follow a similar pattern every year for many retailers. First-time shoppers browse retailers’ sites for the best deals, make a holiday purchase and disappear. And while these customers may come back, if retailers don’t recognize them they’ll look like a new customer the next time they shop. This keeps retailers from offering these shoppers the personalized experiences they need to convert and build lasting relationships.

As retailers acquire new customers, they should focus on identifying them right away with emails or phone numbers to turn anonymous visitors into recognizable shoppers. We see retailers often doing this through discounts (i.e., enter your email and receive 20 percent off your first purchase). It’s a win-win, as shoppers get a discount and retailers can continue to offer them the personalized experiences they want.

Once retailers recognize consumers, they can use their signals (i.e., shopping actions) to meet shoppers exactly where they are. This means everything shoppers do, from visiting a retailer’s website and clicking on an email to browsing products and abandoning carts, can help retailers create personalized and highly relevant messages for customers to drive repeat purchases.

2. Re-engage holiday shoppers of years past.

Consumers have atypical shopping habits over the holidays because they’re not always shopping for themselves. They may purchase from brands they otherwise wouldn’t be engaging with, introducing retailers to new faces outside of their normal customer base.

While retailers are getting to know their new holiday shoppers this year, they shouldn’t forget about holiday shoppers of years past.

Retailers can re-engage shoppers based on what they know about their previous holiday purchases and shopping behaviors. For example, retailers can create holiday-only shopper audiences for their communications and determine the campaigns that will resonate most with them. This could mean deals and savings-inspired shopper communications or category-based recommendations driven by what they purchased last holiday season.

Retailers need to be strategic about their approach to re-engage these shoppers so they can properly target messaging and recommendations to bring them back during the holidays and into the new year.

3. Connect shoppers’ in-store and digital experiences.

Whether a past holiday shopper or a new one, every consumer expects the retailers they shop with to know them better than they know themselves. This starts with making sure that retailers connect consumers’ in-person shopping experiences with their online experiences. Retailers must look holistically at the experiences they're offering to every customer, regardless of where a customer chooses to convert. Shoppers should be recognized as the same customer across all channels and points of sale.

Connecting in-store and digital experiences is critical to offering shoppers the personalized experiences that will turn them into loyal customers far beyond the holidays. These experiences can also work in tandem where retailers can encourage digital shoppers to come into stores, and stores can collect data to fuel online experiences.

For example, retailers should let holiday shoppers know that they can return products in person — even if they bought items online. This will get holiday shoppers in stores to exchange the product for something else, or even make an incremental purchase. And if shoppers are in-store but can’t find the size, color or style they need, retailers can set them up with an online profile and ship them the item free of charge. Shoppers get their purchases delivered quickly and free of charge and retailers can continue to keep in touch with the customer through their new online account.

4. Keep shoppers engaged with the products they love.

With relevant communications and individual product recommendations, retailers aren’t only connecting shoppers with products they love, they’re making them feel “seen.” Over the course of the holiday shopping season, retailers are introducing shoppers to new products to gift to others and use themselves, but this is only the beginning of a shopper’s relationship with a product.

For example, shoppers will eventually have to repurchase products like skincare or makeup. Retailers can attract these shoppers with “replenishment” communications after the holidays are over to remind them to get another product before they run out. Another way to continue to engage shoppers on their favorite products is through “how to use” or “how to take care of your product” communications — this also offers an opportunity to predict what shoppers are likely to buy next and recommend it to them.

And for the products shoppers love during the holiday season but can’t get their hands on because of inventory issues, retailers can make sure they can still get the product even if the holidays are over. A "notify me" button by an out-of-stock item will put shoppers in line for the product as soon as it's available. This will keep shoppers engaged with their product until it's back in stock — and retailers can recommend similar products while they wait.

5. Give loyal customers the VIP treatment.

Retailers’ loyal shoppers are their biggest advocates and account for a vast majority of their sales. While the holidays offer plenty of opportunities to convert new customers and connect with old ones, retailers can’t forget about their loyalists.

To get their loyalists ready for the holiday shopping season, retailers can start to get them excited with holiday-inspired direct mail, gift guides and early access to new products. And in the holiday giving spirit, retailers can reward their most loyal shoppers with exclusive perks like “member-only” deals with shopping incentives like "free gift with purchase" or discounts. Retailers can also recap a customer’s year with them — like a Spotify Wrapped for shopping — with personalized product recommendations to kick off the new year.

With all that retailers know about their most loyal customers, the holidays are an opportunity to create magical moments for their loyalists. This specialty treatment will make loyalty members feel appreciated and valued by their favorite retailers — and keep them coming back.

While the holiday season wraps up the calendar year, it should be the start of where retailers build and grow their customer relationships. The more retailers learn about who shoppers are and their preferences, the better they can serve them with personalized recommendations and communications in the new year.

Sarah Cascone is vice president of marketing at Bluecore, the retail technology company that empowers retailers to discover their best customers and keep them for life.