Social media platforms are changing consumer behaviors, and influencers are now key drivers of holiday shopping trends.
Gen Z’s favorite categories to shop in include sporting equipment and athleisure, beauty and personal care, and health and wellness. This became particularly apparent during the holiday season last year, as brands like Drunk Elephant, Lululemon, and Stanley Cups shot off of the shelves, and onto our TikTok feeds.
Let’s dive into the impact that influencers that influencer have on the retail space…
Gen Z’s purchasing power is on the rise, and 73% of Gen Z consumers are expected to make holiday purchases based on influencer recommendations online. This is reflected in-store too, where 60% of Gen Z consumers plan to make purchases recommended by influencers.
Influencers aren't just affecting online shopping, they’re driving footfall in-store as well. We saw evidence of this in our 2023 holiday campaign with LUSH.
Certain product categories are seeing significant growth, aligning with the influencer content verticals that gain traction on social media.
Top categories among Gen Z include:
Millennials, on the other hand, are more focused on home items and decor, though both age groups show increased interest in video games and food/candy gift baskets.
Brands in these sectors should collaborate with influencers and create content that speaks directly to their target audiences during the lead-up to the holidays. Lifestyle influencers, or those specializing in beauty, fitness, and wellness content will help drive engagement and boost sales.
Facebook and YouTube have previously been dominant players in holiday shopping research and purchasing, however, Instagram (57%) has now overtaken Facebook (56%) as the most popular platform for holiday shoppers. TikTok also continues to gain momentum, influencing 43% of holiday shoppers, particularly among younger consumers, particularly Gen Z who plan to use TikTok Shop to discover gifts, making it a prime platform for influencer-led holiday campaigns.
YouTube remains a key platform for product research, with 50% of Gen Z using YouTube for shopping inspiration. Online video shoppers, often influenced by creators on YouTube, are 3.9 times more likely to start their shopping journey on the platform than anywhere else.
When it comes to the type of content that resonates during the holidays, Gen Z and millennials vote gift hauls and guides as their top holiday content to watch. Other popular content categories include:
This preference for lifestyle-driven content creates opportunities for brands to collaborate with influencers on creating engaging, festive content that feels authentic and adds value to consumers' holiday planning.
To maximize brand visibility and drive early engagement during the holiday season, consider these influencer marketing strategies:
Provide influencers with discount codes for their audiences to reward early shoppers with exclusive discounts or sneak peeks into Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or New Year’s. This will enable you to get ahead of the competition.
Collaborate with influencers to create holiday wish lists featuring your products. These lists serve as a source of inspiration for holiday gift ideas, providing an easy way for customers to make quick purchases. Followers can draw inspiration from these lists for top-recommended products.
Another way to encourage long-term partnerships across the holiday shopping season would be to collaborate with influencers on weekly posts to remind their audiences of upcoming deals that you’re offering in the form of a countdown. This could be a sneak peek at deal offerings and products.
The data is clear: Influencer Marketing is no longer just a strategy, it's essential for retail brands looking to engage younger audiences this holiday season. Whether it’s through Instagram gift guides, TikTok Shop recommendations, or YouTube product reviews, creators are driving purchasing decisions across multiple platforms.
As holiday shopping heats up, brands that partner with the right influencers and leverage these platforms will be well-positioned to capture consumer attention and boost sales.
If you're a brand looking to maximize your holiday marketing strategy and get ahead of the curve for 2025, send us an email at hello@digitalvoices.com.
