Access Development Blog 3 Ways to Help Members Through the Holiday Season

The season of giving (and spending!) is here, and you can bet your bottom dollar that consumers everywhere are preparing for it. The question is: are you? Whether you're in the business of customer loyalty, employee engagement, or member retention, the holidays represent a major opportunity to strengthen the relationships you value most. Here at Access, we want to help you get ready. After all, 92% of consumers say they plan to "celebrate the season" this year, giving you a chance to fill a stocking with goodwill. Read on to learn more about how (and why) a little extra care and consideration can go a long way during the holidays. Holiday Spending: Bigger Than Ever With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, people are feeling pressure to stay on top of their holiday shopping with 32% of U.S. consumers starting their yuletide spending as early as July, and another 29% beginning in November.  There's no intention of slowing down the festive spending this year as retail holiday sales in the U.S. are predicted to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023, with consumer spending expected to reach a record $902 per person on average across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. It's no secret people are spending larger-than-usual sums of money to get ready for the holidays. So what exactly is on everyone’s wish list this year? The most popular ask is gift cards (53%) followed by clothing and accessories (49%), books and other media (28%), personal care or beauty items (25%), electronics and home decor (22%), jewelry (20%), sporting goods (17%), and home improvement (16%).