Holiday Gift Guide Trends in 2020

With holiday planning and the commerce landscape looking dramatically different this year, it’s imperative to keep in mind how the events of 2020 will affect consumer behavior this season. From roundups on gifts from minority-owned businesses to a new wave of home goods and wellness purchasing, holiday gift guides in top-tier outlets will reflect the year we’ve had. Plus, 53% of consumers pulled their gift ideas from online editorial gift guides in 2019 — and we foresee that number scaling in the year of online shopping.

Here are the 2020 holiday gift guide trends our digital marketing agency foresees, and why you should keep them in mind when crafting your Q4 media relations plan.

Rallying Around Small Businesses

This holiday season, it is more important than ever to focus on supporting small businesses. Small businesses have been taking a hard hit this year because of the impacts of COVID-19. Within the past six months, 43% of small businesses had to temporarily close. Rather than buying from big name brands this holiday season, consumers are shopping small and local, and the media is advocating for this opportunity — making it the perfect time to leverage the brand from a PR perspective to gain new traffic sources.

Shopping Black and Minority-Owned

As a submovement of the Black Lives Matter movement, consumers are seeking Black and minority-owned businesses to lift up and support through their holiday shopping. As such, there is ample opportunity for thoughtful gift guides focused solely on Black-owned businesses. Now is a huge time to spotlight these companies, their founders, and the stories behind the product. 

Brands That Do Good and Give Back

Brands this year have been doing good for their communities and giving back. This has caused many holiday shoppers to support businesses that have a great cause. People are more likely to support businesses that give back to communities and support the greater good.

A Shift in the Industry Landscape

There has also been a shift in the industry landscape that is causing a change in the type of gifts people are buying in the 2020 holiday season. Instead of purchasing plane tickets or travels, people have more home goods, books, and health and wellness centric products on their holiday shopping list. Quarantine has brought most people to focus on bettering themselves, their home, or their loved ones. 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Roundups

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are going to look a little different in the 2020 holiday season than years past. Many businesses have put out statements about being closed on Thanksgiving Day this year, while usually businesses would remain open. For this year, however, online holiday shopping will be very popular. Forecasts have stated that online shopping could potentially make up 30% of all U.S. sales this holiday season. This prediction highlights the need for online retailer sites to prepare themselves for increased traffic ahead of time with strategies such as holiday A/B testing.  

Closing Thoughts

With all of that said, make sure you are prepared this coming holiday season. Keeping up with the latest shifts and trends across brands and industries is imperative to crafting your own media relations plan. So, use this guide to your advantage and start planning!