How to Increase Sales at Christmas? 9 Ecommerce Strategies

Christmas is the most exciting and challenging season for sales. Businesses of all sizes compete to capture the attention of customers willing to buy, gift, and take advantage of every offer.

According to Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), the peak transaction days in December are the 22nd and 23rd due to last-minute Christmas shopping.

The good news: that growth can also be yours if you know how to leverage it. And what do you need to stand out in Christmas marketing? Speed, creativity, and a well-defined Christmas strategy. 

In this article, we have assembled 9 real and easy-to-apply Christmas sales strategies for e-commerce businesses (or those selling online). Each strategy includes clear and visual examples of what works (and what doesn’t) to sell during Christmas.

This is what we will see: 

• What is Christmas marketing and why is it important for your business?

• The most in-demand products at Christmas

• How to sell more at Christmas? The best 9 Christmas sales strategies

• What mistakes to avoid when selling during the Christmas season?

• Try an automation tool for your Christmas sales

• We answer frequently asked questions about how to sell at Christmas

What is Christmas marketing? 

Christmas marketing is the strategy that takes advantage of the emotional, commercial, and cultural context of Christmas to increase sales. 

It generally relies on thematic campaigns, limited offers, and messages aligned with the season's values (such as unity, gratitude, and generosity) to connect with consumers during one of the highest-intent buying times of the year.

Check out these key data on Christmas shopping behavior in LATAM:

✅ In Colombia, 32% of consumers start their shopping in the first weeks of December, while 21% do it early in November

✅ According to Visa Consulting and Analytics, Peru recorded a 30% growth in digital Christmas transactions during 2023. 

✅ Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic and Panama, digital operations experienced increases of over 15%.

Remember that the objective is not just to sell for the sake of selling. Seek to emotionally connect with your customers to not only increase your sales but also build relationships that accompany you beyond the season.

What products sell the most at Christmas? 

A BBVA report shows that the best-selling products at Christmas include technology, toys, fashion, and traditional food. For those with an online store, knowing these trends is key to properly preparing stock, campaigns, and offers ahead of time.

From Yavendió!, we see it in our clients in sectors such as fashion, beauty, technology, sports, and more, to whom automating sales via WhatsApp has allowed them to scale and sustain their sales during the high season. 

These are the top categories and products sold at Christmas: 

1. Electronics and technology: includes PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, smartphones, and large televisions
   
   

2. Toys and collectibles: action figures, soccer balls, dolls, and collectibles like Funkos are very popular
   
   

3. Clothing and accessories: seasonal clothes, footwear, and accessories, especially those suitable for summer.
   
   

4. Christmas decoration: Christmas trees, LED lights, ornaments, and scented candles are favorites for homes.
   
   

5. Traditional foods: artisan panettones and turkeys were standout products on Peruvian tables.

How to sell more at Christmas?: The best 9 Christmas sales strategies for your e-commerce

To increase your Christmas sales, you need solid tactics. Apply these 9 strategies and stand out from the competition.

Strategy 1: Activate the Christmas atmosphere

Expand your creativity and dress your business with Christmas elements not only on your sales platforms but also in your communications like banners, mailing, etc. 

This creates an immersive experience to activate positive emotions in the customer and makes them more motivated to buy.

For example: Falabella launched the campaign “Someone said Christmas?”, featuring the singer Chayanne that achieved a flow of 3.4 million visits and 71,475 unique interactions in both physical and online stores. The idea was to offer interactive experiences in stores, such as selfies and personalized messages, and bring everyone the Christmas spirit, unity, and happiness. 

Strategy 2: Create express gift packs

There’s always someone in the family who remembers it's Christmas when the turkey is already in the oven. For them, create product packages ready to gift, with Christmas wrapping and special prices. 

They are perfect for last-minute shoppers looking for quick and practical solutions without compromising quality.

For example: Starbucks Mexico offered a combo that included their popular Christmas Blend coffee along with a coffee press. They promoted it as the perfect gift for coffee lovers, making last-minute shopping easy with an attractive and ready-to-gift option. 

Strategy 3: Create a "Christmas gifts" category

Make their lives easy! Consumers look for practicality and clear options when choosing their gifts. Create a special section for “Christmas Gifts” in your online store where you group products by category (for her, for kids, last-minute gifts, etc.), which will facilitate both the purchase and the decision. 

My favorite example is the Sephora website with a tab called “Gift Finder” where users can filter by gift type, price, and recipient. At Christmas, you'll always find  promotions and new ideas  

Strategy 4: Combine urgency with limited-time discounts.

Promotions with expiration dates act like a ticking clock: they make your customers decide faster. 

Add a timer to your website or use phrases like "last hours!" or "while supplies last" to give them that final nudge. Time is ticking and so are the offers!

For example: Amazon includes a countdown timer in their flash offers to increase the pressure on the buyer. The location is also important. In this case, it is important to place it just below the free shipping and offers.

Strategy 5: Boost your social media and email marketing with thematic campaigns

Let the world see you! 

In Christmas, consumers seek practicality and clear options to choose their gifts. Create a special section for “Christmas Gifts” in your online store where you group products by category (for her, for children, last-minute gifts, etc.), which makes shopping and decision-making easier. 

My favorite example is the Sephora website with a tab called “Gift Finder” where users can filter by gift type, price, and recipient. At Christmas, you will always find  promotions and new ideas  

Strategy 4: Combine urgency with limited-time discounts.

Promotions with expiration dates are like a ticking clock: they make your customers decide faster. 

Add a timer on your website or use phrases like "Last few hours!" or "while supplies last" to give them that final push. Time goes by, and so do the offers!

For example: Amazon includes a countdown timer with their flash offers to increase pressure on the buyer. The placement is also important. In this case, it is located on the website right below the offer price, and with other benefits like free shipping.

Strategy 5: Boost your social media and email marketing with thematic campaigns

Use your creativity and dress your business with Christmas elements not only in your sales platforms but also in your communications such as banners, mailing, etc. 

This way, you create an immersive experience to trigger positive emotions in the customer and make them feel more motivated to buy.

For example: Falabella launched the campaign “Did Someone Say Christmas?”, starring singer Chayanne, which achieved 3.4 million views on the website, as well as 71,475 unique interactions in both physical and online stores. The idea was to offer interactive store experiences, like selfies and personalized messages, and bring everyone the spirit of Christmas, unity, and happiness. 

Strategy 2: Create express gift packs

There is always someone in the family who remembers it's Christmas when the turkey is already in the oven. For them, create product packages ready to gift, with Christmas wrappings and special prices. 

They are perfect for last-minute shoppers looking for quick and practical solutions without losing quality.

For example: Starbucks Mexico offered a combo that included their popular Christmas Blend coffee along with a coffee press. They promoted it as the perfect gift for coffee lovers, providing an attractive, ready-to-gift, last-minute buying option. 

Strategy 5: Boost your social media and email marketing with thematic campaigns

Let the world see you! 

During Christmas, consumers seek practicality and clear options to choose their gifts. Create a special “Christmas Gifts” section on your online store where you group products by category (for her, for kids, last-minute gifts, etc.) to make shopping and decision-making easier. 

My favorite example is the Sephora website with a tab called “Gift Finder” where users can filter by gift type, price, and recipient. At Christmas, you will always find  promotions and new ideas  

Strategy 6:  Run targeted advertising on social media

Make sure your audience sees you! 

During Christmas, investing in well-targeted paid ads allows you to stand out strategically and effectively amidst the advertising saturation.

Direct your ads to your specific audiences according to age, preferences, or behaviors and connect with them. This strategic targeting improves return on investment (ROI), optimizes your advertising budget, and increases your chances of generating sales during the season.

Example: Ripley took advantage of Peru's traditional recipes, sharing them with influencers through short videos on social media. They directed users to their website to view tutorials, amplifying their presence through good paid advertising targeting and encouraging late buyers.

Strategy 9: Extend your business hours 

During Christmas, no one wants to wait.

Extend your service hours and implement direct communication through WhatsApp or social media. And to stay sane, automate: respond faster, without errors, and with an approach that seems hand-crafted. Keep the customers happy and stress-free!

Example: For Cataleya Store, special dates like Christmas are no longer chaotic thanks to the virtual AI vendor from Yavendió! that handles sales and customer service 24/7 via WhatsApp.

What mistakes should I avoid in my Christmas sales?

These are the three most common mistakes you should avoid if you want to maximize your Christmas sales: 

• Not planning the Christmas campaign in time

There is no room for procrastination here: anticipation is essential. If you're just thinking about your Christmas promotions in December, that may be why your sales are not taking off.

Christmas is the strongest season of the year and those who get ahead, win. If you're late, others have already captured the attention, the sales...and even the Christmas spirit.

• Not planning stock and logistics

Another classic mistake is launching a super offer, and suddenly, bam! orders spiral out of control. And you realize you don't have enough stock or your shipping system collapses. Result: delays, cancellations, and very frustrated customers. 

Christmas logistics is not something you can leave to chance. Planning ahead is essential to prevent errors. 

Have suppliers ready, well-calculated timelines, and a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Your customer's experience heavily depends on how you handle all this.

• Not having enough support to respond quickly

This is when you and your team must function like a synchronized dance couple, because if someone writes to you via WhatsApp and doesn’t receive a quick response, it's likely they will go straight to the competition.

And yes, we know: the volume of messages skyrockets, and sometimes there's no way to keep up. But if you can't add more hands to the team, automating some messages with artificial intelligence (AI) can be your best ally. Sometimes, a timely response is worth more than a thousand promotions.

Try Yavendió! and automate your online sales with artificial intelligence (AI)

In high seasons, every customer without an immediate response is a lost sales opportunity. That’s why tools like Yavendió! are designed to make life (and processes) easier for entrepreneurs like you. 

We have helped more than 150 businesses scale their sales (even during high seasons like Christmas) without needing to expand their team or being glued to their phone.

If you want to see how it works, talk to Yavendiosita on WhatsApp 🤖(our own AI agent) and get a free demo.

Frequently Asked Questions about Christmas Sales:

• When should I start my Christmas campaign?

Ideally, you should start in November or by mid-December at the latest. You can take advantage of the momentum from Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick off your Christmas communication. The idea is to capture early shoppers who want to avoid the rush and also build a presence before the peak of advertising competition in December.

• How can I make my Christmas products stand out from the competition?

Offer added value, whether it's in attractive Christmas presentations, personalized products, special editions, or dedicated cards with festive messages. Highlight why your offer is unique in quality, exclusivity, or express delivery, and why choosing you is a better option than your competitors.

• What promotions work best at Christmas?

The most effective ones combine urgency and convenience. Discount packages, free shipping, limited-time or unit offers will be the first to attract consumers. You can use “2x1,” “the second at 50%,” or “early purchase with extra benefit.” Always focus on making it easier to buy multiple items in one order.

• What type of content can I send via WhatsApp at Christmas?

You must be brief but visual.  Share catalogs with eye-catching photos, limited-time promotions, thank-you messages, gift tips, and reminders. Watch out! Do not spam; you may lose potential customers. Be strategic in capturing attention by echoing the holiday spirit with creative visuals.