Why the Final Weeks Before the Holidays is a Retail Opportunity

Writer: Kerri O’Connor
Date: October 22, 2026

Estimated reading time: 5-minute read

Holiday shopping does not stop towards the end of December. In fact, the Mastercard Economics Institute found that more than 35% of in-store spending on jewelry, handbags and cosmetics, and at department stores, took place in the final week of the November 22 to December 25 period in 2025. That leaves retailers a short but valuable window to reach shoppers before the holidays.

Picture someone looking for a last-minute gift. They spot an idea while streaming at home, browse a retailer’s website, compare nearby stores, and search for opening hours before heading out to buy the item. Each step is a chance for retailers to guide them and help them decide where to shop. But when ad campaigns run separately across channels, the message may not carry from one step to the next.

Here are four ways retailers can connect with shoppers across channels and measure how their campaigns drive online and in-store purchases:

1. Reach Shoppers in the Living Room With CTV

The search for a gift does not always begin with a search engine. A shopper may first see an idea while watching their favorite TV show at home. Connected TV (CTV) advertising gives retailers room to introduce a seasonal offer, highlight gift categories, or remind viewers that a nearby store can help with a holiday purchase.

The message should give shoppers something useful to remember. A retailer with several locations, for example, could feature an offer available at nearby stores and make the next step clear by promoting how they can redeem it. If the shopper later browses on a phone or laptop, a coordinated campaign can reinforce that same offer rather than present a different, disconnected message.

Where the ad appears matters, too. A higher price does not automatically mean a better placement. Simpli.fi explains what to look for when buying premium CTV inventory, including the publisher, content, and placement.

CTV can also help retailers look beyond views. Simpli.fi’s reporting lets advertisers assess campaign activity alongside outcomes such as site visits and store visits. Retailers can use those results to guide their remaining holiday campaign decisions.

2. Use First-Party Data to Reach Known Customers

After a shopper sees a holiday offer, a relevant follow-up can give them another reason to consider your brand. For instance, an existing customer may be interested in a complementary gift. A loyalty member may need a reminder about an exclusive offer they can redeem before Christmas. First-party data helps retailers make those distinctions instead of sending every customer the same message.

Start with the information your organization already has, such as purchase history or loyalty membership. Simpli.fi’s CRM and first-party data targeting also helps retailers re-engage people who have shown interest in their brand. These signals can help shape relevant audiences and creative.

During the final holiday week, timing matters as much as relevance. A message about gift ideas may be useful earlier in the week; closer to Christmas, store availability, opening hours, or an offer that can be used promptly may be more helpful.

First-party data helps make those decisions more specific. Retailers can review campaign results, including online conversions and store visits, to see how audiences respond and adjust the message or budget while there is still time.

3. Meet Shoppers Near Your Store With Geo-Fencing

In the final week of the holidays, shoppers are out comparing their options. They may be visiting a shopping center, walking through a retail district, or deciding which nearby store to visit next. Location-based advertising can help shoppers plan for this moment and make the most of their last-minute shopping run.

For example, Simpli.fi’s Geo-Fencing lets retailers create virtual boundaries around selected locations, such as stores, malls, and other points of interest, to reach shoppers when they’re right in the middle of looking for a store. A multi-location brand can also tailor its targeting by market: one location may focus on a busy shopping center, while another targets its surrounding trade area. Simpli.fi supports campaigns across individual locations, regional groups, and larger networks.

Address-Based Geo-Fencing offers another option for retailers with a list of street addresses. It turns those addresses into geographic boundaries for household targeting, helping brands reach known audiences as well as shoppers visiting retail areas.

The next question is whether people visited your store after being reached. Store-visit measurement helps retailers look beyond ad delivery and assess visitation associated with their campaigns. It can also show where results differ across locations, giving teams a basis for optimizing a campaign strategy while the holiday shopping window remains open.

4. Be Present When Shoppers Search With High Intent

As the holiday season approaches, search terms become more urgent and immediate. Someone looking for “last-minute gifts near me” or “open Christmas Eve” is trying to solve a specific problem.

A retailer’s paid search campaign should make the answer easy to find. That means aligning ads with the products shoppers are looking for, current seasonal offers, store locations, and accurate operating hours. Beyond paid search, keyword targeting can also help retailers reach shoppers as they browse webpages with content relevant to their interests.

Where the ad takes them matters, too. Sending someone searching for a nearby gift shop to a general homepage adds an unnecessary step they may have little time or patience to navigate. Instead, a relevant store locations page can help them find the details they need and quickly decide what to do next.

Search also has a distinct role in the wider campaign. Clicks show interest, but retailers also need to know what happened afterward. Looking at online conversions and store visits alongside search activity helps teams judge which messages and locations deserve more attention. Simpli.fi’s retail advertising solution supports measurement of both digital actions and physical visits.

Connect Every Impression to a Real Outcome

The final week before Christmas leaves little room for slow decisions. Retailers need to see where campaigns are reaching shoppers, which messages are getting a response, and whether those interactions are followed by online purchases or store visits.
Simpli.fi brings CTV, first-party audience targeting, geo-fencing, and paid search into a connected media approach. Our unified reporting brings programmatic and platform media performance into one view and includes foot traffic attribution, helping teams assess activity across channels and locations.

An impression tells you an ad ran. The more useful question is what shoppers did next. When retailers can connect campaign activity with conversions and store visits, they can make better decisions and prepare for the next holiday season.

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Kerri O’Connor Senior Manager, Content Marketing | Simpli.fi Kerri O’Connor is a strategic product marketer with deep expertise in digital advertising, audience engagement, and campaign performance. As a Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Simpli.fi, she leads go-to-market strategy, messaging development, and product adoption for innovative ad tech solutions. Kerri brings a strong background in programmatic media, digital strategy, and client enablement, translating complex industry trends into clear, actionable marketing. She excels at blending data with storytelling to drive results and help brands connect with the right audiences. A passionate storyteller and data-driven marketer, Kerri is committed to helping brands navigate the evolving digital landscape and maximize their marketing impact.