Holiday Online Shopping Results: A Snapshot of What’s Changing

Thanksgiving weekend isn’t just a time for football, family, and turkey; it’s the ultimate litmus test for consumer behavior. This year, from Nov 27 to Dec 2, over $400 million in online transactions coursed through our clients’ platforms. That’s a hefty number, but let’s dig into the data—because the devil is always in the details. 

While overall web traffic ticked up just 1% year-over-year, the story gets much more interesting when you break it down by industry.

Consumers Are Voting With Their Wallets

Here’s what stands out: consumers are shifting priorities. Industries focused on self-care saw a meteoric rise, with web visits in Health & Beauty up 47%, a clear indicator that consumers are leaning into personal investments. Compare that to Apparel & Accessories, which dipped 3%, and Travel & Hospitality, which dropped 8%. It’s a recalibration of priorities, where looking good and feeling good prevail over the wanderlust that dominated post-pandemic spending. Even general Retail eked out a modest 6% growth, suggesting consumers are still making practical purchases albeit with a tighter focus.

A Digital Dichotomy

The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported a decline in retail web visits this season, reflecting cautious spending and economic uncertainty. Yet, NaviStone-powered clients? Up! That 1% total growth may seem small, but it’s significant against broader declines. The difference? Precision targeting and relevance. Consumers are exhausted by uninspired, cliche pitches and gravitate toward brands that know how to meet them where they are.

What This Means

The playbook for 2024 is becoming clear. Consumers are spending, but they’re selective, recalibrating toward categories that deliver personal value. For brands, the challenge is equally clear: relevance isn’t optional—it’s table stakes. Winning requires dialing in on personalization, doubling down on value, and dropping any strategy that feels out of touch.

As the numbers show, this isn’t just a shift in consumer habits—it’s a redefinition of the retail game. If you’re not rethinking your strategy, you’re already behind. Survival in this landscape doesn’t favor the biggest spender—it favors the smartest operator.