This infographic from Yesmail Interactive shows which months people start shopping for Christmas along with how much they’re planning to spend and on whom.

So, here’s what you need to know:

According to Yesmail Interactive, 38.1% of people start their Christmas shopping before November which jumps up to 69.8% of people starting their Christmas shopping before the 1st December.

This means in the 3 month run up to Christmas (September, October, November) nearly 70% of shoppers are in the Christmas buying mood.

Note: If you’re also wondering “When do the Christmas Adverts start?” this article has all the dates (with videos where available).

Why knowing this matters for Retailers

Firstly, it’s a great insight into when to promote your Christmas stock, services and gifts.

In 2015 there have been many groans and moans about Christmas selling starting too early. Wikipedia defines this as “Christmas Creep” which was first used in the 1980s.

However, as you can see from the infographic at the end of this article, people start shopping for Christmas well before the “traditional shopping season” which means there is an argument for retailers to provide these buyers with products and deals.

Make The Most Of Christmas

Enter your email address to the right and we’ll send you our quick tip guide on making profit at Christmas.

You want to make the most of this period and maximise sales. Not just in the run up to Christmas but also in the week or two after when you’ll be running sales and customers want to return presents.

When do people start shopping?

Here’s the part of the infographic which shows when people start shopping for Christmas.

The Full Infographic

Now you know when people start their Christmas shopping make sure you’re ready to make the most of the Christmas spending:

Christmas Market Shopping and Sales

Christmas markets have become a huge event across the globe. The Centre for Retail Research has produced a review in 2014 that revealed Europe alone spends £3.59 billion at Christmas Markets.

That spend is across 100 main markets and 2,508 smaller markets, and they see over 414.2 million visitors.

So if you’re looking for another way to put your retail business out in front of a buying audience then being involved with your local Christmas market might be the way to go.