The holiday season is one of the biggest shopping moments of the year and spending for 2023 is predicted to rise 4.5% year-over-year to a whopping $1.328 trillion.¹ This time of year is critical for brands to drive sales and reach their business goals.

In 2022, Walmart’s total holiday retail sales outpaced prior years, with a 7% increase in omni sales and an 11% increase in online visits.² Economic uncertainty influenced many customers to shop more at Walmart, with 41% of Walmart customers surveyed saying they shopped at Walmart (in-store or online) more often last holiday season due to inflation and rising prices.³ As holiday spending increases and more customers turn to Walmart’s everyday low prices to fulfill their needs, brands have a tremendous opportunity to capture even more share in 2023.

But the biggest shopping moment of the year also means the most competition for shoppers’ attention and budgets. To help suppliers break through the noise by putting their best creative foot forward, we surveyed Walmart customers to understand what types of ad messaging and visuals resonated most with them during the holiday season. Here’s what we found out:

1. The more savings, the merrier  

Across the food, electronics and toy categories, Walmart customers ranked price as the most important advertising message during the holidays.⁴ We know that economic concerns are keeping price top of mind, with 46% of Walmart customers saying they plan to buy less expensive gifts and 39% of customers saying they plan to do more research to find the best deals.³

Use price and rollback lock ups as well as savings messaging in holiday advertising to help draw in those customers who are looking for value at everyday low prices. For guidelines around price and rollback lock ups, please contact your Walmart Connect Partner.

2. Get into the holiday spirit 

As shoppers are getting into the holiday spirit, they’re looking for holiday ads to do the same. Walmart customers responded positively to advertising with visual cues that leaned into the holiday spirit – from adding a little bit of sparkle, to showing products within holiday decorated homes.⁴

In the food category specifically, including recipe inspiration alongside product imagery also received a positive response with customers saying they liked seeing "how I can use the product," and that it looked "appetizing" and "festive."⁴ Find ways to infuse a holiday look-and-feel into an ad’s visuals to help capture the attention of holiday shoppers, feed into holiday excitement and inspire customers to try new products or recipes.

3. Deck the halls with clear product shots 

Holiday shoppers may be overwhelmed with buying decisions during this time, so simplicity in your advertising, especially when it comes to visuals, can help cut through the clutter and aid quick decision-making. Walmart customers consistently expressed their preference for ads that showed clear and simple product images.⁴

In the toy category specifically, customers said they liked seeing the toys "up close" in addition to the packaging.⁴ Use prominent, easy-to-see product shots in ads to help customers quickly understand what the ad is for and see the important details of the product they’re considering.

4. Don’t leave quality out in the cold

The cost of holiday shopping can add up quickly, so customers working their way through their holiday lists are keeping their eyes on product prices. However, quality is still an integral element in their consideration set, especially in categories like personal care and electronics.

When it comes to personal care, 37% of Walmart customers said quality was the advertising message that was most important to them.⁴ Similarly, in the electronics category, 32% of customers said quality is the most important message.⁴ Lean into quality messaging and showcase the features and benefits of products to help set your products apart and increase purchase consideration.

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"US Holiday Retail & Ecommerce Sales,"March 2023.

²Walmart First Party Data, Feb 2023. Reflecting Oct 31 - Dec 31, 2022. 

³Walmart Holiday Creative Survey, First-Party Data, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, Feb, 2023.  * “Holiday” timeframe defined as Nov 1 – Dec 31, 2022.

⁴Walmart Holiday Creative Survey, First-Party Data, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, August, 2023.​