Best Selling Products and Shopping Categories During Christmas and New Year Holiday Season 2024-2025

Consumer spendings rise during Christmas. The stats gathered in this post clearly show that. You can use the customer interest and boost sales. We collected some information on what product categories people focus their buying on during this winter holiday. 

Key Takeaways

• The Christmas best-selling online products should be giftable, unique, sustainable and personalized.
• More than half of U.S. consumers plan to buy gift cards or gift certificates. This type of product can be offered as last-minute gifts.
• The top bestsellers include Christmas themed things: Christmas lights and outdoor decorations, artificial Christmas trees, Christmas stockings and tree skirts, clothing and accessories, Christmas home decor, advent calendars, gift baskets and hampers, toys and books.

Why Are Christmas Sales So Important?

The impact of Christmas is substantial, as it is the time when goods suppliers globally experience a surge in sales. People actively purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate the feast, resulting in a significant increase in sales volume. 

Here are some more reasons of Christmas sales importance:

1. Revenue boost: Christmas is a peak shopping period, and businesses rely on the increased sales during this time to boost their revenue. The high season accounts for a significant portion of annual sales for many retailers.
2. Profitability: With increased sales, businesses have the opportunity to generate higher profits. Christmas often brings in customers who are willing to spend more on gifts, decorations, and other festive items.
3. Inventory management: Christmas sales help businesses manage their inventory effectively. By offering discounts and promotions, retailers can sell off excess inventory and make room for new products in the upcoming year.
4. Customer acquisition and retention: Christmas sales provide an opportunity for businesses to attract new customers. Offering attractive deals and promotions can entice customers to try out a new brand or product, potentially leading to long-term customer loyalty.
5. Competition: During the high season, businesses face intense competition from other retailers. Offering sales and promotions helps businesses stay competitive and attract customers away from their competitors.
6. Tradition and consumer behavior: Christmas has become synonymous with shopping and gift-giving. Many people look forward to the holiday sales and plan their purchases accordingly. Businesses that participate in Christmas sales tap into this consumer behavior and tradition, increasing their chances of success.

Christmas eCommerce Statistics

As the holiday season of 2025 approaches, various forecasts provide insights into expected eCommerce trends and consumer behaviors. We’ve collected the key statistics and predictions for Christmas eCommerce in 2024.

Source: National Retail Federation and Deloitte

• Total Holiday Sales: The National Retail Federation (NRF) anticipates that total holiday retail sales in the U.S. will increase by 2.3% to 3.3% during the 2024-2025 season, totaling approximately $1.58 trillion to $1.59 trillion from November to January.
• eCommerce Growth: Deloitte projects that eCommerce sales will grow between 7% and 9%, reaching approximately $289 billion to $294 billion for the holiday season. This growth reflects a continued trend of consumers favoring online shopping. Adobe anticipates that overall U.S. online sales during the holiday season will reach $240.8 billion, marking an 8.4% increase from the previous year.
• Mobile Dominance: It is expected that mobile devices will account for 54% of holiday eCommerce sales, driven by younger consumers and the convenience of mobile shopping platforms. This trend highlights the increasing importance of mobile optimization for retailers.

• Early Shopping: A significant number of consumers are expected to start their holiday shopping early, with many planning to shop before Thanksgiving, influenced by a shorter shopping window this year.
• Flexible Payment Options: The popularity of “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options is projected to continue, potentially representing around 9% of total online holiday sales. This trend is particularly appealing to younger shoppers seeking flexible payment methods.

• Promotional Activities: Retailers are likely to ramp up promotions earlier in the season to attract early shoppers, with many consumers looking for deals as soon as October.
• Sustainability Focus: There is an increasing consumer preference for sustainable products and packaging, which can enhance brand loyalty during the holiday season. eCommerce companies that incorporate sustainable packaging and delivery alternatives have observed a 30% increase in customer loyalty, as per Deloitte. 
• Influencer Impact: The influence of social media and marketing strategies is expected to drive consumers to shop significantly more during this period, further boosting sales figures.

Get more Festive Season Trends and Stats from: Top Black Friday Campaigns for eCommerce Brands

What Are The Characteristics Of Best-Selling Christmas Items?

Not all shopping categories and items will gain the same traction during Christmas. Different products have different characteristics, defining whether they outperform other segments or not.

Below are some features that make a product ideal for selling on the web during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Giftable

As Christmas is all about giving gifts, a winning Christmas item is often giftable. Some examples of giftable items are jewelry, candles, games, toys, bath bombs, and books.

If you run a store or a marketplace with a wide variety of products, consider adding an option to buy digital gift cards.

Source: Precedence Research

Approximately 87% of consumers plan to buy gift cards for the holidays in 2025, consistent with previous years’ trends. After Christmas and New Year’s Eve, retail sales usually peak again in January as many people redeem their received Christmas gift cards and vouchers. It is a popular gifting option as it can be in electronic format, which is very convenient due to social distancing recommendation

Gift Finder on Walmart that allows finding a personalized gift

Unique

Unusual items have the potential to receive a lot of sales during Christmas. People don’t like giving ordinary gifts. They would rather purchase something genuine and special to gift someone!

Amazon unique items on the Holiday Shop

Personalized

Products can be personalized in multiple ways: adding custom texts, photos, or colors to the product.

Personalized products on Amazon

Sustainable

Eco-friendly products are gaining traction, with consumers showing interest in sustainable gift options.

Top Christmas Categories and Items to Sell Online in 2024-2025

What is the most popular item to put on top of a Christmas tree? Let’s consider the most selling products on Christmas, items that have traditionally been in demand during the high winter season. These items have consistently performed well on the web and are likely to continue to be among the most popular Christmas gifts in 2024-2025.

Source: based on materials from CBSNews, RollingStone, Printify, Gelato

Top-Selling Categories

1. Clothing: Ugly Christmas sweaters, Christmas pajamas, and holiday-themed apparel.
2. Gift Cards: High demand across all generations, with Millennials leading in purchases. Digital gift cards are particularly popular.
3. Toys: Classic toys, educational games, and trending collectibles.
4. Books and Video Games: Bestsellers and new releases are highly sought after during the holiday season. Books that fall into the categories of fiction, thrillers, or mysteries tend to perform well, especially if released around the Christmas season. Non-fiction titles, particularly biographies, also show strong sales potential, often remaining on bestseller lists longer than their fiction counterparts.
5. Food and Candy: Gourmet gift baskets, seasonal treats, and specialty candies.

Specific Items Expected to Sell Well

• Christmas Stockings: Customizable and often filled with small gifts.
• Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Fun designs that appeal to a wide audience.
• Christmas Pajamas: Comfortable and festive options for families.
• Christmas Wrapping Paper and Gift Bags: Personalized options that enhance the gifting experience.
• Custom Mugs: Ideal for hot beverages during the winter months.
• Christmas Candles: Scented candles that evoke holiday feelings.
• Educational Toys: STEM-focused toys are gaining traction among parents looking for value in educational play.

Top 5 Cool Christmas Gifts on Amazon

In 2024, Amazon emerged as the Christmas sale leader in the U.S. eCommerce market.  So, we decided to study what are the bestsellers available here. While the specific Christmas sales items may vary depending on the year and current trends, here is a list of Christmas things that have been well-received in recent years.

LEGO Advent Calendar

A favorite among both children and adults, this calendar features themed mini-figures and builds that add excitement to the countdown to Christmas.

Echo Dot (5th Gen)

This smart speaker remains a popular gift choice, offering hands-free voice control for music, smart home devices, and more.

Personalized Christmas Ornaments

Customizable ornaments are highly sought after as they add a personal touch to holiday decor and make memorable gifts.

Customized items like engraved jewelry, monogrammed towels, or personalized photo albums can also add a personal touch to the gift.

Gourmet Gift Baskets

These baskets filled with chocolates, snacks, and seasonal treats are perfect for gifting or enjoying during holiday gatherings.

Electric Holiday Lights

Smart LED lights that can be controlled via apps are increasingly popular for decorating homes, allowing users to create festive displays with ease.

These gifts offer a mix of technology, entertainment, and practicality, making them great options for Christmas products.

Bonus – Last-Minute Christmas Gifts from Amazon

Last minute Christmas gifts refer to gift items that can be purchased and delivered quickly, even close to the Christmas deadline. These gifts are often available for expedited shipping or can be sent electronically as e-gift cards.

You can consider the following Christmas gift ideas seen on Amazon to decide on what to sell as a last-minute offer in your store:

• Amazon’s Last-Minute Deals: A dedicated page that features various discounted products that can be delivered quickly.
• Amazon Gift Cards: These can be sent electronically via email or printed at home, making them an excellent last-minute option.
• Amazon Prime Membership: A gift of Amazon Prime allows the recipient to access free two-day shipping, streaming services, and more. It can be gifted instantly via email.
• Digital Subscriptions: Gifting digital subscriptions to popular services like Amazon Music, Kindle Unlimited, or Audible.

If you sell electronic products or subscription services, consider making them available as a last-minute Xmas gift.

Read more: 9 Examples of Digital Product Marketplaces on CS-Cart

Top 5 Cool Gifts for Christmas on Walmart

While Amazon leads, other platforms like Walmart and various smaller eCommerce sites also saw substantial increases in sales, driven by competitive pricing and promotional strategies. 

As Walmart has shown itself as one of the sales leaders for the previous year, it is rational to borrow some ideas on most sold items in Christmas from it. 

Bluey 3-in-1 Transforming Plane Playset

This interactive toy is a hit with young children, featuring sounds and multiple play options.

Barbie World Game Room Set

A popular choice among kids, this set includes various accessories for imaginative play.

Hello Kitty Sleeping Plush

This cuddly toy is perfect for children looking for comfort during the holiday season.

Despicable Me 4 The Ultimate Fart Blaster

A humorous gift option that is sure to entertain kids.

Harry Potter LEGO Advent Calendar

This themed calendar appeals to fans of all ages, featuring beloved characters from the series.

How To Find Your Perfect Gift Offer For Christmas? A Hint From Our Team

You can try to make your own research by using these two shops as your gift guide on what to sell in your store. Just enter Christmas in the search bar and see the results.

Walmart Best Christmas Gift Search Results

Amazon Best Christmas Gift Search Results

Both marketplaces have their Holiday Shops, dedicated pages with gift ideas. Surf on the page for your inspiration.

Holiday Shop on Walmart

Holiday Shop on Amazon

Marketing Tips To Win The Christmas Sale

• Offer Fast Deliveries: 40% of consumers expect retailers to provide expedited/same-day/next-day delivery choices during the high season. 
• Implement Advanced Logistics Technologies: To streamline delivery routes during peak Xmas periods, over 60% of major retailers have invested in AI-driven logistics solutions, as reported by PwC. 
• Provide Convenient Solutions: During the festive period, retailers that offer convenient options such as curbside pickup and lockers are preferred by 70% of shoppers, according to the NRF.

• Integrate Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options: The utilization of BNPL among U.S. shoppers during Cyber Week last year witnessed a growth of up to 5% compared to the previous year, highlighting its popularity among consumers. By incorporating BNPL services into your eCommerce platform, you can enhance customer satisfaction and increase order conversions.
• Prepare Server For Traffic Spikes.  It is essential for businesses to prepare their servers to handle such high traffic volumes to avoid downtime and provide a seamless user experience. Make ready your website for traffic spikes by optimizing performance, load testing, scaling infrastructure, implementing caching mechanisms, utilizing CDNs, optimizing database performance, monitoring server health, planning for disaster recovery, staying updated with security patches, and having a support plan in place.
• Arrange Your Budget Wisely: The period between December 15th and December 24th will account for 40% of all Christmas sales. Assign a large part of your marketing budget to your Christmas items, to be spent between December 15th and December 24th.
• Devote Special Attention to Crafting Marketing Emails. A significant 68% of shoppers have expressed their heightened focus on emails containing offers during this period. Hence, it is crucial to develop a foolproof email marketing campaign.
• Add Discounts: Retailers are offering substantial discounts, with reductions of up to 70% on a range of products like electronics and clothing. Common promotional strategies during the early shopping phase include Buy-One-Get-One Free (BOGO) offers, free shipping, and bundled deals, making these promotions particularly attractive to consumers. Xmas shoppers have a tendency to begin their shopping earlier, and retailers who refrain from offering early discounts during the first two weeks of November typically experience a 5% decrease in sales. Engage in Influencer Collaborations. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, nearly 70% of marketers anticipate an increase in influencer marketing budgets in 2024, highlighting the rising significance of partnering with influencers.

The last thing to mention is that eCommerce spending this year will likely be higher. More people will purchase Christmas gifts electronically instead of going to shopping malls. So, it’s great for eCommerce business, so don’t miss this chance to make your digital commerce better!

Read more articles about product and categories to sell: 

• Best Product to Sell Online: 10 Criteria With Product Ideas
• Popular Online Shopping Categories In Different Parts Of The World
• How To Sell Products Before Opening A Store With Pre-Order Campaign

Conclusion

Get ahead of the competition with Simtech Development as the high season 2024–2025 approaches! It is essential for businesses to anticipate customer needs and offer products that embody the festive spirit. By leveraging Simtech Development’s tailored solutions and with your curated selection of top Xmas gifts, your business can flourish during this enchanting and celebratory time of year.