Short answer: YES.
While your customers may be enjoying summer holidays, poolside cocktails, and ice cream cones, smart eCommerce brands are already looking ahead to Q4. If you’re asking, “Isn’t it too early to plan for Christmas?”think again.
“Christmas in July” isn’t just a catchy phrase, for marketers, it’s a strategic mindset. By starting early, you give your business a competitive edge during the most lucrative season of the year.
Let’s break down why planning your holiday promotions now is essential, what steps you should be taking, and how to get ahead while everyone else is still in vacation mode.
🎁 Why Now? The Stats Don’t Lie
Many UK consumers in 2023, were actively researching and planning their holiday purchases as early as September and October, with 35% aiming to complete most of their shopping before December!
Waiting until October or November to prepare means rushing campaigns, missing testing opportunities, and possibly losing visibility to brands who planned months ahead.
📦 Inventory, Offers & Logistics Take Time
Holiday season success is about more than a great deal. It’s about preparation, consistency, and execution. By planning in Summer, you can:
Secure inventory: Prevent stock issues and delays
Design bundles or gift sets: Increase AOV with holiday-specific product offerings
Schedule shipping promotions: Based on carrier cut-off dates
Plan returns strategy: A smooth returns process boosts buyer confidence
✍️ Start Crafting Campaigns & Creative Now
You’ll need a lot of content to fuel your holiday marketing. From email campaigns to social media ads, every message should be consistent and cohesive. By starting now so you can:
- Develop a full campaign concept or theme
- Write and design email sequences (launch, countdowns, reminders, last-minute)
- Prep social media graphics and festive Reels/TikToks
- Update homepage banners, product descriptions, and gift guides
🎨 Bonus Tip: Start collecting UGC (user-generated content) early to build social proof for your holiday campaigns.
📅 Key Dates You Should Be Prepping For
Halloween – 31 October (great for pre-holiday engagement)
Singles Day – 11 November (growing in popularity)
Black Friday – 29 November
Cyber Monday – 2 December
Christmas – 25 December
Boxing Day – 26 December
January Sales – Start planning now for the new year bounce!
By mapping your offers and promotions across this timeline, you can build momentum, rather than throwing everything into one frantic week in November.
📧 Warm Up Your Email List Early
If your email subscribers haven’t heard from you in a while, now is the time to re-engage them. Warming up your list ensures:
- Better deliverability during peak season
- Higher open and click-through rates
- Stronger conversion from early access offers
📝 Consider sending a teaser campaign, exclusive early-bird deals, or sneak peeks at upcoming bundles.
🛍️ Test Now, Win Later
The beauty of starting early? You have time to test, tweak, and perfect your strategies. Use July, August and September to:
- A/B test email subject lines and CTAs
- Trial different landing page formats
- Try out early paid ad campaigns and optimise creative
- Test which product categories perform best as gifts
Your future self in December will thank you.
❄️ Think Beyond the Sale
Holiday marketing isn’t just about discounts. Consider incorporating:
- Gift guides for different audiences (e.g., gifts under £20, for pet lovers, for kids)
- Charity tie-ins or “gift with purpose” campaigns
- Shipping countdowns and gift wrapping options
- Loyalty rewards or early access for VIP customers
It’s the perfect time to show off your brand values, creativity, and customer care.
📣 Ready to Make Q4 Your Best Season Yet?
At CDA, we help eCommerce and digital brands create impactful holiday campaigns that cut through the noise.
Whether you need help with planning your content calendar, designing festive social graphics, creating high-converting email campaigns or crafting a full-funnel holiday strategy, now is the time to get started!
📩 Get in touch with the CDA team today, and let’s turn your Christmas campaign into a festive success story.
