The shortened 2024 holiday shopping season, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is adding pressure to an already intense period for retailers. This five-day reduction from last year’s schedule impacts consumer shopping behaviors, retailer strategies, and shipping logistics. Despite fewer shopping days, Adobe Analytics forecasts an 8.4% rise in online spending, totaling $240.8 billion, the highest holiday season increase since 2021.
The 2024 holiday shopping season, with 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is among the shortest in recent years. Here’s how it compares to recent holiday seasons:
2023: 32 days (Thanksgiving on November 23, Christmas on a Monday)
2022: 31 days (Thanksgiving on November 24, Christmas on a Sunday)
2021: 32 days (Thanksgiving on November 25, Christmas on a Saturday)
2020: 32 days (Thanksgiving on November 26, Christmas on a Friday)
Historically, the shortest possible holiday shopping season is 26 days, which happens when Thanksgiving falls on November 28, leaving minimal time for retailers and consumers to prepare. A longer season, such as those with 31 or 32 days, allows for a more spread-out purchasing period, potentially easing logistical pressures on retailers and shipping companies.
The shorter 27-day season in 2024, combined with a mid-week Christmas (on a Wednesday), increases the likelihood of delivery crunches and a more intense shopping period, as many consumers may delay purchases, expecting the usual last-minute flexibility.
The shortened 2024 holiday shopping season, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is adding pressure to an already intense period for retailers. This five-day reduction from last year’s schedule impacts consumer shopping behaviors, retailer strategies, and shipping logistics. Despite fewer shopping days, Adobe Analytics forecasts an 8.4% rise in online spending, totaling $240.8 billion, the highest holiday season increase since 2021.
Shipping giants FedEx and UPS have raised peak season surcharges to meet demand, with FedEx predicting a volume surge extending into the new year and UPS anticipating record volumes. To cope, logistics companies and retailers are emphasizing transparency and proactive communication with consumers to mitigate frustrations over potential shipping delays.
Brands are also adopting tech-driven solutions to track and manage customer orders. For instance, Route, a post-purchase platform, offers tracking and package protection services to ensure customers stay informed and are reassured when facing shipping issues. Proactive customer service is increasingly critical, especially with the rise of gig work in last-mile delivery. Startups like WorkWhile are providing flexible labor options to handle last-mile delivery, and this trend toward gig work may continue to grow as retailers navigate high demand and limited capacity.
Additionally, holiday shopping has started even earlier, with October promotions from major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target encouraging consumers to make purchases well before Black Friday. This earlier shopping pattern, reinforced by memories of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, is a strategic move to distribute the demand over a longer period and avoid bottlenecks.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to This Week In Retail to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.