Holiday Marketing Preparation for Australian Retailers

The holiday season is approaching fast. For Australian retailers, the period from late November through to Christmas is the biggest sales opportunity of the year. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas shopping, Australian consumers spend billions during this period.

But here is the thing — the businesses that do best during the holidays are the ones that prepare early. If you are scrambling to put together promotions in mid-December, you have already missed the early shoppers and the impulse buyers.

Whether you sell online, in-store, or both, this guide will help you prepare your marketing for a successful holiday season.

The Australian Holiday Shopping Timeline

Understanding when Australians shop helps you plan your marketing calendar.

Early November: Savvy shoppers start researching gifts. They are browsing, comparing, and making lists. Your marketing should focus on awareness and inspiration.

Late November (Black Friday / Cyber Monday): This shopping event has grown massively in Australia over recent years. Many consumers wait specifically for these sales. Your biggest promotions should be ready.

Early December: The bulk of Christmas shopping happens in the first two weeks of December. Marketing should focus on gifting ideas and promotions.

Mid-December: Last-minute shoppers are in a rush. Marketing should emphasise availability, fast delivery, and gift cards.

Post-Christmas: Boxing Day sales and January sales are another major retail event. Plan for these too.

Website Preparation

Speed Matters More Than Ever

Holiday shoppers are impatient. If your website is slow, they will go elsewhere. Before the rush:

  • Test your site speed with Google PageSpeed Insights
  • Compress all images
  • Make sure your hosting can handle increased traffic
  • Enable caching if you have not already

Mobile Optimisation

A huge portion of holiday browsing and shopping happens on mobile devices. Test your entire purchase or enquiry flow on a phone:

  • Can customers easily browse products?
  • Can they add items to cart and check out on mobile?
  • Is your contact information easy to find?
  • Do forms work properly on mobile?

Website Preparation Infographic

Update Your Homepage

Create a holiday-focused homepage that:

  • Highlights your holiday promotions or gift ideas
  • Features gift guides or curated collections
  • Shows delivery cut-off dates prominently
  • Includes a clear path to your most popular products or services

Create Gift Guides

Gift guides are incredibly useful for holiday shoppers. Create guides based on:

  • Budget ranges (“Gifts Under $50”)
  • Recipient (“Gifts for Dad,” “Gifts for Teachers”)
  • Interest (“Gifts for Foodies,” “Gifts for Gardeners”)
  • Your product categories

These guides also make great blog posts and social media content.

Update Shipping and Returns Information

Make your shipping details crystal clear:

  • Order-by dates for Christmas delivery
  • Shipping costs and options
  • Returns and exchange policy for gifts
  • Gift wrapping availability
  • Click-and-collect options if available

Email Marketing Preparation

Email is one of the highest-converting channels during the holiday season. Prepare your campaigns now.

Build Your List

Before the holiday rush, focus on growing your email list:

  • Add prominent signup forms to your website
  • Offer a holiday discount code for new subscribers
  • Promote your email list on social media
  • Collect emails from in-store customers

Plan Your Email Calendar

Map out your emails for November and December:

Early November: Holiday preview, gift guides, early-bird offers Mid-November: Pre-Black Friday teasers Black Friday / Cyber Monday: Sale announcements and reminders (plan for multiple emails across the weekend) Early December: Gift ideas, product highlights, customer favourites Mid-December: Last-chance shipping reminders, gift card promotions Post-Christmas: Boxing Day sale, new year promotions

Design Holiday Email Templates

Create festive email templates that match your brand. You do not need to go overboard — subtle holiday touches look professional.

Segment Your List

If you have enough subscribers, segment your emails:

  • Previous customers vs new subscribers
  • Product interests
  • Purchase history
  • Engagement level

Targeted emails consistently outperform generic blasts.

Social Media Strategy

Content Calendar

Plan your social media content through to Christmas:

  • Product showcases and gift ideas
  • Behind-the-scenes holiday preparation
  • Customer gift guides
  • Countdown posts (days until Christmas, days until shipping cut-off)
  • Holiday tips and inspiration related to your products
  • User-generated content from customers

Instagram Shopping

If you sell products, make sure Instagram Shopping is set up so customers can browse and buy directly from your posts and Stories.

Facebook Promotions

Plan your Facebook posts and consider boosting your best holiday content for extra reach. Facebook’s targeting lets you reach people in your local area who match your ideal customer profile.

Engage and Respond Quickly

During the holiday season, customers will ask questions via social media. Respond quickly. A delayed response might mean a lost sale.

Advertising Strategy

If you run Google Ads, prepare for the holidays:

  • Increase your budget to capture higher search volume
  • Create holiday-specific ad copy
  • Add holiday-related keywords to your campaigns
  • Set up shopping ads if you sell products online
  • Schedule ad changes in advance

Facebook and Instagram Ads

  • Create holiday-specific ad creative
  • Target lookalike audiences based on your existing customers
  • Plan retargeting ads for website visitors who did not purchase
  • Set budgets to increase during peak shopping periods
  • Create urgency in your ads (“Limited stock,” “Order by December 15 for Christmas delivery”)

Start Advertising Early

Do not wait until December to start your holiday advertising. Ad costs increase as more businesses compete for attention. Starting in early November gets your campaigns optimised before the peak.

In-Store Preparation (For Physical Retailers)

Visual Merchandising

  • Create appealing holiday displays
  • Set up a dedicated gift section
  • Display gift cards prominently
  • Ensure your store looks welcoming and festive

Extended Hours

Consider extending your trading hours in December. Promote any extended hours on your website, social media, and Google My Business listing.

Gift Wrapping

Offering free or affordable gift wrapping is a simple way to add value and differentiate from online-only competitors.

Staff Preparation

  • Brief your team on holiday promotions and policies
  • Ensure adequate staffing for busy periods
  • Train staff to suggest gift options and upsell naturally

Promotions and Offers

Types of Holiday Promotions

  • Percentage discounts (20 percent off, etc.)
  • Dollar-amount discounts ($10 off orders over $50)
  • Free shipping (very effective for online sales)
  • Buy-one-get-one offers
  • Gift with purchase
  • Bundle deals (“The Perfect Gift Pack”)
  • Gift card bonuses (buy a $100 gift card, get a $10 bonus card)
  • Loyalty rewards for holiday shoppers

Create Urgency

Legitimate urgency drives action:

  • Limited-time offers with clear end dates
  • Countdown to shipping deadlines
  • Limited stock notifications
  • Early-bird discounts that expire

Gift Cards

Gift cards are one of the most popular gifts in Australia. Make sure you offer them:

  • Physical gift cards for in-store customers
  • Digital gift cards for online customers
  • Promote them heavily in mid-December when last-minute shoppers need fast options

Post-Holiday Planning

The holiday season does not end on December 25.

Boxing Day and January Sales

Plan your post-Christmas promotions:

  • Boxing Day sale (December 26)
  • New year / January clearance
  • End-of-summer sales

Follow Up With New Customers

Holiday shoppers who purchased from you for the first time are potential long-term customers. Follow up in January:

  • Send a thank-you email
  • Ask for a review
  • Offer a new-year promotion to encourage a second purchase
  • Add them to your regular email marketing

Review and Learn

After the season, review your results:

  • What sold best?
  • Which marketing channels performed?
  • What could you do better next year?
  • What feedback did customers give?

Your Holiday Marketing Checklist

Now (Early November):

  • Optimise website speed and mobile experience
  • Update homepage with holiday messaging
  • Create gift guides
  • Plan your email calendar
  • Prepare social media content
  • Set up advertising campaigns
  • Confirm shipping cut-off dates

Mid-November:

  • Launch Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions
  • Send early-bird emails
  • Start running holiday ads
  • Share gift guides on social media

December:

  • Execute your email and social media calendar
  • Monitor and adjust ad campaigns
  • Communicate shipping deadlines clearly
  • Promote gift cards as deadlines approach
  • Keep up with customer enquiries

The holiday season is a sprint, but the preparation is a marathon. Start now, and you will be in the best possible position to make this your most successful holiday season yet.

Need help preparing your website or marketing for the holidays? Our Western Sydney team is ready to help you make the most of this holiday season. Get in touch today.

Thinking about the bigger picture beyond your website? Ash Ganda shares strategic insights on digital transformation for Australian business leaders.

Ashish Ganda is the founder of Ganda Tech Services, a Sydney-based technology consultancy helping Australian businesses grow through cloud, web, and mobile solutions.