Go RVing’s Trends to Know: Digital Strategies for Holiday Shopping

📊 Trends and insights: Go RVing is committed to keeping you up-to-date on trends and insights that impact the RV industry.

• With the winter holiday just around the corner, consumers are starting to look for that perfect gift (maybe a sweet aftermarket upgrade, new RV accessory, or booking their next RV trip??).

🤔 Tell me more: Even though it’s not winter yet, October is a good opportunity to connect with proactive holiday shoppers. The majority of shoppers start their holiday shopping in October, with 23% waiting to start until November.

• Similarly, according to a survey conducted by Critical Mass Insights, 60% of survey participants indicated they plan on starting holiday shopping in October or November, and a vast majority (9 in 10) agree they’d like to make big holiday purchases before tariffs raise prices.
• The bottom line: This data shows that consumers are starting their purchasing research earlier and that spending isn’t necessarily slowing down; it’s just more nuanced now.

🤔 Shopping strategies: 43% of survey participants said a personal recommendation from a family member or friend was most likely to influence someone to shop somewhere new. Likewise,  90% of shoppers say they tell friends/family about great deals after hearing radio or podcast ads.

• Similarly, mobile commerce is expected to account for 56.5% of US holiday e-commerce sales and 11.5% of total holiday season sales this year.
• Half of shoppers (50%) say that AI tools like chatbots and gift guides would improve their holiday shopping.

📱 Tips and tricks: The RV industry can promote its products, especially aftermarket products and RV accessories, to its audience this holiday season by using marketing strategies that align with current shopping trends.

• Leverage the popularity of mobile commerce: Build mobile-optimized campaigns that deliver engaging, personalized ad experiences across channels—from in-app to mobile web—to capture attention and drive conversions, whether a customer is on the go or panic-buying from the couch.
• Highlight deals through display ads: Marketers can stay agile by using display ads to promote flash sales to price-sensitive customers looking for the best deals this holiday season. During the holidays, shoppers may start online, but many still hit local stores to find gifts, avoid shipping hassles, or hunt for last-minute deals.
• Advertise in high-traffic areas: Digital out-of-home advertisements allow businesses to capture attention in high-traffic locations—such as malls, transit hubs, or bus shelters—to boost local awareness and direct shoppers to your business. This strategy can be used to promote nearby store locations, seasonal deals, or exclusive in-store offers.
• Pitch your products to journalists: Now is the time to share your products with relevant journalists who are crafting holiday gift guides in popular publications like Outside, GearJunkie, and Forbes. Find relevant media with these tips:
  • Do a simple Google search for holiday gift guide news and identify media outlets (including new media like YouTube and Substack) where your priority products could be a fit and pitch the media contact.
  • Subscribe to relevant newsletters that regularly put a call out for gift guide pitches including Joni Sweet, Rachel Cavanaugh, and Qwoted.