Episode 1: Holiday Creep Is Extending the Holiday Shopping Season

When does the U.S. winter holiday season start? Many would likely say the Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the holidays, with people starting to put up decorations and shopping for gifts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, over the last few years, more and more Americans have started their holiday shopping earlier. This year, 26% of Americans started their holiday shopping before the beginning of October, compared with 24% in 2016. So why are consumers starting their holiday shopping sooner? It turns out it’s part of a phenomenon called “holiday creep.” In the first episode of The Database, a podcast from Nielsen, Jordan Rost, our VP of Consumer Insights, and Traci Brodnax, a communications manager on our Buy team, share what’s behind this new trend. The episode also dives into what shoppers are looking to buy this year and where brands and retailers can find opportunities to reach eager shoppers this year.