August Retail
Insights
The New Christmas Shopper
What changing consumer behaviour means for physical retail this peak
Christmas remains one of the most important moments in the retail calendar, but the way consumers shop is changing.
They’re still planning to spend, but they’re becoming more selective about where, when and how they shop. They’re looking for value, trusted retailers and products that feel worth buying, while shopping behaviour is becoming increasingly fragmented across the season.
For brands, that creates a more complex peak.
It’s no longer simply about preparing stores for Christmas. Retail environments need to respond to different shopping moments, changing customer expectations and increasingly compressed periods of activity, while remaining consistent, relevant and ready to perform.
So what does today’s Christmas shopper expect from the retail experience, and what does that mean for brands managing physical retail estates?
The Christmas Consumer Is Cautious, But Still Spending
The latest research reveals an interesting contradiction. Consumers are feeling financial pressure, but many are still determined to spend on Christmas.
The IPA’s 2026 Christmas Consumer Report, based on research among 2,000 UK adults, found that:
45% expect to feel more financially anxious this Christmas. Yet: 49% say they don’t plan to cut back on anything.
Consumers expect to spend an average £647 on Christmas, with 58% of that budget going towards gifting.
At the same time, value is becoming increasingly important when choosing where to shop. Four of the five top retailer selection criteria identified by the IPA relate to savings, including free delivery, discounts, price matching and free returns. Trust also ranked highly, with 33% selecting a trusted retailer as an important consideration.
What this means for brands
Consumers may be more cautious, but they’re still looking for reasons to spend.
For physical retail, that puts greater emphasis on clear communication, strong presentation and a consistent customer experience that helps shoppers feel confident about where they’re spending.
The Christmas Shopping Window Is Changing
The traditional Christmas shopping calendar is becoming harder to predict.
Mintel’s 2026 Christmas Gift Buying research found that 72% of shoppers bought Christmas gifts during Black Friday promotions in 2025, positioning November as an important part of the Christmas gifting journey.
But the season is increasingly polarised. One in four shoppers now waits until December to begin shopping, while those who start earlier tend to spend more. Mintel highlights the challenge for retailers of capturing early shoppers without creating festive fatigue.
The implication is important. There isn’t one Christmas shopping moment anymore.
Different customers will enter the journey at different times, respond to different triggers and expect different things from the brands they shop with.
For retailers, the challenge isn’t simply deciding when Christmas starts.
It’s being able to adapt the retail environment as shopping behaviour changes throughout the season.
What Consumers Expect From the Physical Store
Digital shopping has transformed how consumers discover and buy products, but physical retail remains central to the customer journey.
CBRE’s 2026 UK Retail Generational Survey, based on more than 2,000 UK consumers, found:
- 72% want to try new brands
- 56% cite product range as the top driver of store visits
- 29% value in-store events
The research also highlights the growing importance of store design, events, interactive formats and social media-driven discovery.
At Christmas, those expectations can translate into:
- Product discovery and gifting inspiration
- Seasonal displays and experiences
- Exclusive launches and events
- Product interaction
- Click and collect
- Customer service
- A physical experience that feels worth the visit
The physical store doesn’t simply need to facilitate a transaction. It needs to give customers a reason to choose it.
The Peak Retail Challenge Is Getting More Complex
Changing consumer behaviour creates a practical challenge for brands.
For marketing teams, it can mean more frequent campaign changes across a shorter period.
For operations teams, it means coordinating installations, updates and removals across multiple locations.
For procurement teams, it means getting the right materials to the right places at the right time.
And for global brands, there’s another layer of complexity.
A campaign needs to feel recognisably like the same brand across every market, while still allowing stores to reflect local cultures, communities and customer behaviour.
The question isn’t simply: Are we ready for Christmas?
It’s: Can our retail estate adapt as the Christmas shopper changes?
Consistency Doesn’t Mean Identical
Global brands face a difficult balancing act.
Customers expect a consistent brand experience wherever they encounter a brand, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every store should feel identical.
A seasonal campaign may need to flex according to:
- Local culture and traditions
- Shopping behaviours
- Language
- Store format
- Customer demographics
- Local events and communities
The strongest global retail programmes combine brand consistency with local relevance.
That requires clear standards, but also the operational flexibility to adapt them.
Preparing for a More Unpredictable Peak
Being prepared for peak isn’t simply about getting everything installed before a deadline.
It’s about creating a retail estate that can respond when consumer behaviour, campaign priorities or operational requirements change.
- Plan for multiple retail moments – Think beyond one Christmas installation.
Consider how the estate will transition between different promotional and seasonal moments, and where elements can be refreshed without unnecessary disruption.
- Build flexibility into installations – Shorter campaign windows mean less time to make changes.
Consider how quickly displays and fixtures can be updated and whether installation programmes give teams the flexibility to respond when priorities change.
- Make the customer journey work harder – Think beyond promotional messaging.
Consider how the physical environment supports discovery, gifting, collection, customer service and the overall experience.
- Balance global consistency with local relevance
Define what must remain consistent and where local teams need flexibility to adapt the experience for their market.
- Protect the experience throughout peak – Peak doesn’t end when the campaign is installed.
High footfall puts additional pressure on displays, fixtures and customer-facing environments. Maintenance and rapid response therefore become even more important when stores are at their busiest.
Questions Every Brand Should Be Asking
Before peak arrives, consider:
- How quickly can new campaigns be installed across the estate?
- Can stores transition efficiently between seasonal moments?
- Are updates consistent across every location?
- Where do global standards need to flex for local markets?
- Can maintenance issues be identified and resolved quickly?
- Do teams have visibility across the entire retail estate?
- What happens if the campaign changes at short notice?
These aren’t simply operational questions.
They can directly influence how effectively a brand responds to changing customer expectations.
From Peak Preparation to Peak Readiness
The Christmas shopper isn’t changing just once.
Some customers will plan early. Some will wait for value. Some will discover products through social media and then visit a store. Others will browse in store before purchasing online.
For brands, physical environments need to support a much more fluid customer journey.
Being ready for peak isn’t about having everything fixed in place.
It’s about having the people, processes, visibility and operational capability to keep retail environments current as the season evolves.
Because the brands that understand what consumers want at Christmas aren’t necessarily the ones that simply shout the loudest.
They’re the ones that make every retail interaction count.
How 100% Group Can Help
At 100% Group, we help global brands deliver and maintain physical retail environments across multiple markets.
From production and installation to campaign rollouts, display updates, maintenance and removal, we help brands keep retail estates consistent, current and ready to respond as campaigns and customer expectations change.
Planning for peak? Let’s talk.
