“It’s too early!”: Here’s why it isn’t, actually

'‘Twas the season before Christmas,

And all through the land,

Business owners were getting ready,

For the retail season with their brands.’

If reading that filled you with panic, then I’m gonna need you to keep on reading…

Christmas prep now starts in… Summer!?

That’s right.

Ever noticed how in recent years stores seemed to get the selection boxes and tree decorations in just that *little* bit earlier?

It’s not a coincidence. In this blog post I’ll run you through the reasons why and how to get your workshop fired up well ahead of time. (I’ll stop with the puns now. Maybe.)

Consumer habits have shifted

With factors such as a global cost of living crisis and uncertainty around employment, in general consumers have changed their behaviour from more traditional last-minute sprints to the shops on Christmas Eve to planning earlier and spreading out effort and cost over a longer period.

·       Early planning is the new normal to beat the rush

This year, UK shoppers searched for ‘Christmas markets’ and gift ideas as early as July, with #GiftTok tutorials taking over TikTok feeds. [1]

Early birds catch the worm (or in this case, the candy cane) by aiming to beat Black Friday chaos, potential courier delays (both domestic and international) and last-minute panic buying. [2]

Taking one step further ahead to mitigate this, Klaviyo proactively offer strategic advice to both retailers and consumers to help them avoid the stress of last-minute deliveries. [3] This is also a great way of enhancing your brand experience during this time, people appreciate help no matter how big or small.

·       Budgeting is front and centre

Unsurprisingly with a global cost of living crisis, over two thirds of consumers are setting strict budgets due to economic uncertainty.

It is predicted that Christmas 2025 will cost British families £1,622.46 on average with a focus on gifts, food shopping and energy bills. [4] They are still spending, but more strategically.

Many are spreading their purchases out across October and November paydays to avoid financial strain and potential stock shortages. [1] With a demand on overall everyday utilities and other financial pressures to think about, allocating a proportion over each payday is a wise move to manage the cost without potential debt.

·       Tech-driven discovery and planning of gift ideas

Consumers are relying heavily on online tools, search rankings and social media to find and organise gift ideas.

This guide [5] shows how viral TikTok trends (#GiftTok) are shaping gift choices across different demographics for Christmas 2025.

Shoppers are also seeking more meaningful gifts in a ‘less is more’ approach and chasing further value through deals.

Think of custom-made gift sets, early-access exclusives and free shipping as big motivators. Etsy’s personalised bundle gifts collection [6] is a fine example of this approach.

So, what can I do to get ahead and prep for the season?

Here are my tips for getting organised and ready for a busy period around your long list of other commitments:

1.       Secure finance early

If you need additional funding for the season, try to arrange it before November, before a rush comes in and overwhelms lenders and rates rise.

Thinking about running ads to get your posts seen in amongst the sea of other brands? Put aside an estimated amount so that you can budget around your own needs.

2.     Lock in your inventory and logistics plans

Like finance you want to secure your stock and any pre-orders before demand peaks, especially if you are offering trending or limited-edition goods.

Engage with couriers and book them early, then clearly communicate your shipping cut-offs in writing to customers to avoid any delivery issues.

3.     Optimise for SEO

It might sound obvious but when you are rushing to write your product listing pages, are you 100% sure that they are optimised to perform their best and show up on TikTok, Instagram and gift guides etc.?

4.     Lean into personalisation

Using the learnings from above, not only offering curated gift sets but think about your brand experience. Are there any nice little touches you can add that don’t demand a lot of effort?

Things like custom packaging, handwritten notes etc. go a long way to stand out in a crowded market.

5.     Start promotions and sales plans early and offer flexible payment options

Launching early-bird Christmas campaigns by September can catch early planners and secure your visibility before bigger brands start to take over ad space.

If you do not normally spend a lot of time on marketing for your small business, then I urge you not to underestimate the time it takes for writing listings, content creation, setting up email campaigns and even answering questions in your DMs. The sooner you can plan, the better.

Finally, help your customers as well as yourself by offering flexible payment options e.g. instalment plans, buy now pay later to manage their budget over time.

Summary

I hope you’ve found this useful in identifying more about preparing your business for the Christmas period, particularly if you are selling physical products. It’s time to get ready for ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ and for it to feel fine for you as a small business owner.

If you would like to have a chat about how I can help you optimise your content, emails and/or website for the holiday season, click below to arrange a FREE 30 minute discovery call with me.