For most, summer is the time to enjoy barbeques and pool parties, but as a marketer, we know you’re already in holiday mode. You have your eye on the biggest shopping moment of the year—a golden opportunity to reach a massive audience and maximize your impact. ​This year, holiday retail spending is predicted to reach an impressive $1.37 trillion.¹ With 4,700+ stores across the U.S.² and an online presence that meets shoppers wherever they are, Walmart is a go-to destination for millions of customers during the holiday season. Let’s look at how customers shop for the holidays at Walmart and some key creative strategies to help brands connect with and convert them: 

Give the gift of value

Value and price continue to be important factors as the holiday season approaches. Four out of five Walmart customers say price is a top consideration when buying gifts.³ To save money on gifts, our customers say they spend more time looking for discounts and switch to digital channels for easy price comparisons.⁴ Display ads that feature savings messaging can help customers quickly find the best value on the holiday gifts they’re searching for. Underscore affordability in your copy, like in this Google Pixel Buds ad, to resonate with price-conscious customers. Keep in mind that value isn’t always about price alone, so make sure to also reinforce product quality, whether it’s through messaging or high-quality product imagery. For this Google Pixel Buds onsite display ad, customers noted that they liked seeing the quality of the product up close as well as how sleek it looks on a person.³ 

Deal events like Black Friday are also important moments where savings can have a big impact on holiday purchase decisions, even for items that may not be on our customers’ lists. In a recent survey, 41% of Walmart customers who responded said they’ve made unplanned or impulse purchases because of great prices during events, with apparel, home goods and electronics being the top categories they shopped for.⁵ Leaning into these key moments with compelling creative that speaks to savings can help drive product interest and influence customers to make a purchase.

Another way to reinforce value is by incorporating ratings and reviews in ad creative. When it comes to holiday shopping, 51% of surveyed Walmart customers say that product ratings and reviews from other shoppers are an important factor when purchasing a holiday gift.³ Consider this approach for popular gifting items that customers tend to spend more time researching, such as personal care and electronics, to help inspire confidence in your product’s quality and build brand trust. Find more tips and eligibility guidelines for using ratings & reviews in your ads here.

Celebrate holiday moments together

For Walmart customers, the holidays are all about quality time with loved ones and they turn to Walmart to help make those moments together even sweeter. 89% of customers surveyed say they plan to shop at Walmart to prepare for hosting and attending holiday parties.⁶ To connect with Walmart customers during this time, consider positioning your product to support their hosting needs, like Scott Paper Towels does in this ad by providing easy clean up solutions. Featuring festive family moments can also help connect your brand to positive, nostalgic memories.

Showcasing recipe ideas is another great way to inspire customers as they prepare for hosting. 87% of customers surveyed said they bought food, drinks, and snacks at Walmart last year for holiday entertaining.⁷ Not only can this strategy help customers who are looking for new ideas, but featuring delicious food can also tap into a powerful emotional response. A recent study, conducted in partnership with NielsenIQ, that measured how ads triggered customers' neurological responses, showed that featuring tasty food can help boost emotional engagement and can help motivate customers to act.⁸ For example, when customers saw this Ghirardelli ad they said it looked “delicious," "brought up positive memories" and it "makes me want to bake cookies!"⁶

Chobani’s festive video below from their dedicated Walmart.com brand page is also a great example of getting creative with holiday recipe inspiration. Whether it’s on Walmart.com, social or CTV, video can be an effective tool for more in-depth storytelling that can help influence Walmart customers’ decisions by showcasing your product’s relevant uses and benefits. See more creative tips for video here.

This content is brought to you by Lightbox Creative, the in-house creative team that helps suppliers drive business results with Walmart Connect’s retail media solutions through best-in-class creative. Learn more about Lightbox Creative and their mission here.

Sources: ¹EMARKETER Forecast, February 2024.​ ²Walmart Corporate Site, November 2023. ³Walmart first-party data, Holiday Gifting Creative Survey, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, survey conducted by the Walmart Connect Media Insights Survey team, June 2024. ⁴Walmart first-party data, Holiday Cards & Gifts Lookback Survey, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, survey conducted by the Walmart Connect Media Insights Survey team, March 2024. ⁵Walmart first-party data, "Retailer Deal Events Awareness & Perception," Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, survey conducted by the Walmart Connect Media Insights Survey team, March 2024. ⁶Walmart first-party data, Holiday Entertaining Creative Survey, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, survey conducted by the Walmart Connect Media Insights Survey team, June 2024. ⁷Walmart first-party data, Walmart Holiday Entertaining Lookback Survey, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, survey conducted by the Walmart Connect Media Insights Survey team, March 2024. ⁸NielsenIQ BASES, Creative Neuro-research, November 2023.

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