Jingle-bell-rock your Christmas affiliate marketing business
Christmas and the New Year are the culmination of the 2022 holiday season, that’s why as an affiliate you shouldn’t relax just yet, on the contrary, it’s time to focus and get prepared to hit this holiday extravaganza! And we’re here to help you with that. Our team has prepared the best converting affiliate programs and all the stats and data you might need.
Let’s delve into it without further ado!
Holiday season e-commerce
In North America Christmas shopping begins on Cyber 5 Week: Thanksgiving – Black Friday – Cyber Monday. People start looking for gift ideas in early November and December is all about ‘Add to the cart – Check out’ stage. People shop online for gifts, long-wished stuff for themselves and home decorations.
According to Statista, when asked about their plans for holiday gift shopping in 2021, more than 50% of consumers in the US said they intended to make their purchases over the internet. Most buyers, regardless of age, anticipated purchasing more or as much via Internet as they did a year earlier. This year the trend stays the same.
Holiday shopping channels among consumers in the United States from 2015 to 2022, by channel
Source: Statista
This year according to Adobe Analytics, US consumers spent a record $9.12 billion on online shopping during Black Friday, which was up 2.3% YoY. Cyber Monday also set a new annual sales record with Americans spending a total of $11.3 billion, which constituted 5.8% growth YoY. Moreover, according to The National Retail Federation (NRF), a record 196 million Americans shopped in stores and online over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 10% increase from last year.
That’s why NRF’s predictions that holiday sales will grow up to 8% compared to 2021, look quite realistic. And if so, this figure will be above historical averages.
According to NRF, in December consumers will spend $833 on average for gifts, decorations, food and other holiday-related purchases. According to the PWC Holiday Outlook report, this sum is going to constitute approx. $1,430, which is up 20% over pandemic-ravaged 2020 and more than 10% over 2019.
What do people buy?
In 2021
Let’s see what U.S. consumers preferred to receive as a gift last year Christmas:
Source: Statista
The #1 on the wishlist was money. What can bring money? Easy earnings of course. One of the obvious solutions here are betting platforms and sweepstakes: they cover the main wishes for cash, gift cards and gadgets.
As for clothing and shoes, all kinds of electronics, makeup and jewelry – promote the best e-commerce offers, we got them all, just keep reading!
This year
According to the newly released “Holiday 100” edition by Google Shopping, which lists 100 of the most popular gift ideas based on Google search queries this holiday season, there are tens of categories of products which are being searched right now: beauty, electronics, gaming, health, sports, toys, kitchen gear, etc. So basically – e-commerce steals the show!
Some of the most searched products include:
- Food dehydrator
- Massage gun
- Barbie Dream House Playset
- Lego Santa’s Visit
- Toy piano
- Under desk treadmill
- Gaming Laptop
- Over-ear headphones
- Gaming chair
- Electric bike
- Electric scooter
- Acrylic nail kit
- Bath bombs
- Lug soled loafers
- Sherpa jacket
So which product categories should you definitely keep an eye on as an affiliate?
Gadgets, clothing/shoes, toys and beauty products are very much desirable for users.
- Electronics: during Thanksgiving week online sales surged 221% over an average day in October, Adobe said.
- Toys: Toys are another popular category for shoppers, up 285% compared to regular days.
- Clothing/shoes: one of the most stable categories, which always stays on demand.
- Gifts for pets: according to a survey provided by Morning Consult and Personal Capital, 34% of Americans will be purchasing a gift for their dog and 22% for their cats. And for a second only 19% of Americans will be purchasing gifts for their in-laws, you see the priorities?
PWC expects the following distribution of expenses:
- $754 on gifts
- $452 on travel
- $224 on entertainment
Interesting trends in shopping
1. Gifting experiences
Another interesting trend – the rise of experiences popularity. According to Deloitte, spending on entertaining at home and socializing away from home is expected to increase 7% year-over-year, to $575 per household.
With pandemic-related restrictions easing, consumers are more eager to go on trips, attend concerts and eat out. The Transportation Security Administration said screenings were up 33% from last year, and according to Eventbrite, concert bookings are up 42%. Also, the whole pandemic situation and the crisis in the world reminded people that life is short and precious, and that experiences can be much more memorable than stuff.
2. Travel
Holiday travel is another huge trend. According to a PWC report, 47% of all consumers plan to travel this holiday. Of that 47%, more than two-thirds (69%) will travel by car. However, air travel is on the rise too: 46% of travelers plan to fly, which is 6% higher compared to 2021 and 33% in 2020. Of course, many will end up using a combination of air and road travel to reach their final destinations.
Those who plan to travel also are going to dish out heavily with an average spendings of $2,441 this holiday season, which is $1,000 more than the average consumer. Here again, millennials lead the way, with 63% planning to travel. Online booking sites are leading the list of the most popular ways to book travel: 45% of travelers (60% of traveling millennials) use them for holiday travel.
3. Last-minute shopping
According to the statistics, 62% of US shoppers buy gifts in the week before Christmas. Sounds like a solid reason not to relax huh?
4. M-commerce on the rise
During the holiday season people use smartphones more frequently and hence shop via mobile devices too. 29% of young millennials (ages 26-30) will shop via smartphone this holiday season, versus 22% for all age groups.
5. Paying with credit cards
According to NerdWallet, about 72% of holiday shoppers in the US will use credit cards for this year’s gift purchases, charging $663, on average, according to the survey. That’s more than $103 billion on credit cards. Inflation is playing its ugly role here, so people are interested in taking loans and credits.
What matters the most before making a purchase?
- Price
- Convenience
- Speed of delivery
- Online reviews
- Free returns
Source: PWC Holiday Outlook 2022
Also!
Home delivery has become the most popular option for online shopping in North America, and consumers are becoming more demanding – they prefer those that offer proof of delivery, real-time tracking and flexibility on timing. So when choosing what programs to promote – choose the one with fast and stable delivery.
Top 10 Affiliate Programs for Christmas Holidays
Marketplaces
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 15%
Promo: up to 50% Off
2. Aliexpress Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 9%
Promo: up to 60% Off
GEO: MY
Payout: 3.6%
Promo: Multiple campaigns
GEO: ID
Payout: up to 4%
Promo: Multiple
Electronics
GEO: US
Payout: 4%
Promo: Up to 35% Off
Gaming
6. SteelSeries Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: 5%
Promo: holiday sale on selected items
Clothing and Shoes
7. Cole Haan Affiliate Program
GEO: US
Payout: 60%
Promo: up to 60% for selected items
GEO: FR,DE,SG,GB
Payout: 5%
Promo: Christmas Deals Up To 40% Off
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 13%
Promo: an extra 20% Off + Free shipping
10. Superdry Affiliate Program
GEO: US
Payout: 10%
Promo: 20% Off on Womens Partywear
11. DressLily Affiliate Program
GEO: AU,CA,FR,DE,NL,GB,US
Payout: 15%
Promo: Christmas Deals Up To 40% Off
Beauty products
12. LookFantastic Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 12%
Promo: Up To 30% Off
GEO: US
Payout: 7%
Promo: Extra 10% Off with a promocode ADD10 + free gifts
Jewelry
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 7%
Promo: free shipping and extended returns (depends on the GEO)
Books
15. Thriftbooks Affiliate Program
GEO: US
Payout: up to 3%
Promo: up to 20% Off for selected books + bonus points
Sports goods and accessories
GEO: US
Payout: up to 8%
Promo: Multiple deals
17. Callaway Golf Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: 6%
Promo: Free Shipping & Free Returns On All Orders for US GEO
GEO: AT,BE,EE,FI,FR,DE,GR,IE,IT,LU,NL,PT,SK,ES,GB
Payout: 3%
Promo: up to 40% discount on selected models
Musical Instruments
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 10%
Promo: Multiple deals depending on the GEO, e.g. up to 50% off select gear from Fender, Korg, and more for US GEO
Pets products
GEO: US
Payout: 4%
Promo: Up to 40% Off
Travel
21. Trainline Affiliate Program
GEO: GB
Payout: up to 30%
Promo: train and coach services during holidays
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 5%
Promo: use promocode WHERETHISHOLIDAY for a holiday discount, additional discounts with particular payment options.
Events
23. Ticketmaster Affiliate Program
GEO: GB
Payout: up to 1%
Promo: Holidays events guide
VPN services
24. Hide.me VPN Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: 60%
Promo: reduced price for VPN services
25. Atlas VPN Affiliate Program
GEO: worldwide
Payout: up to 100%
Promo: 85% Off
Finance
26. Upgrade Personal Loans Affiliate Program
GEO: US
Payout: up to 140$
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Wrapping It Up
It’s a high time for affiliates to focus and put in every effort to enjoy the holiday season profits to the fullest.
Here are some advice from our team how to add a festive profitability mood to your creatives:
- Stick to these themes in ad campaigns: special offers and discounts, limited-time offers, Christmas spirit and belief miracle. Use one or two or mix them all up, because let’s say – they convert very well.
- The sense of urgency: countdown on landing page or the urgency in the text like “Only for the first 100 users”, “Only 2 hours left”, etc.
- Test it all: make at least 5 creatives and test them, you never know which one will drive the most sales.
Merry Christmas affiliate marketing to everyone and the most converting holiday season ever!
It’s the best time to start working with Indoleads!