Still waiting for Black Friday? Your customers aren’t.
Many owners still treat Black Friday as the start of the holiday season. Their customers don’t. In the Accenture holiday shopping survey of 1,009 Canadians, October 2026, 81% said they plan to start holiday shopping before Black Friday, up from 47% last year. One in six had started before August.
So the season is no longer one weekend at the end of November. It is the next seven weeks, and it has already begun. Two simple changes make the biggest difference.
1. The big discount isn’t the magnet
Budgets are a little tighter this year: the average planned gift spend is about C$717, down nearly 4%, and almost half of those keeping or cutting their budget point to the cost of essentials. People still buy. They just want to feel the money was well spent.
That favours a thoughtful offer over a louder discount: a bundle that makes a ready-made gift, a free-shipping threshold, a gift card with a small bonus, or a clear line that says why this product is the right gift. These protect your margin and give shoppers a reason to choose you.
2. Your next customer is asking AI
40% of Canadians plan to use AI tools to find deals this season, and 30% to compare options. Instead of scrolling ten pages, they ask: “best gift for a dad who likes coffee, under $80”. The tool answers with a few products, not a page of links.
The products that show up are the ones that are easy to understand: a plain product title, real specs and sizes, a clear price and shipping time, honest reviews and answers to common questions. If your product page is vague, the AI simply recommends someone else.
A quick check for this week
- Is your holiday offer live now, not planned for late November?
- Do you have one bundle or gift-ready option, not only a percentage off?
- Would a stranger understand your best seller from its title, photos and specs alone?
If any answer is no, there is still time to fix it before the busiest weeks. Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll look at your holiday plan with you.
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