SurveysNov 10, 2025
5 Things Retailers Should Know About Holiday Shoppers This YearColumnistsDec 09, 2025
Holiday Sales Happen in December, Most Decisions Don’t
Most customers who walk into your store this month have made up their minds. Your job is to validate their choice, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. Contact him at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
December is here. If your store feels busy, that’s good but don’t kid yourself.
Most of the people walking in have already made up their minds. They’ve been looking, comparing, and thinking, long before you even noticed.
In October and November, they were deciding who they could trust.
By the time they step into your store in December, your job isn’t to convince them. It’s to reassure them that they made the right decision.
Too many jewelers miss this memo completely, and that is where the problem lies.
Many retailers wait until December to “sell the holidays,” falsely believing that last-minute promotions or flashy store displays will be enough.
The customers you’re trying to reach have already tuned out that noise.
They aren’t impulsive; they’re more deliberate and thoughtful. They want guidance, not urgency.
They want to feel confident, not pressured.
A customer walking in this month isn’t asking you to persuade them; they’re asking you to help validate their choice.
Many of your potential customers made up their minds weeks ago.
So, what can you do? Here are a few ways you still can influence their decision and capture the sale.
Most of the people walking in have already made up their minds. They’ve been looking, comparing, and thinking, long before you even noticed.
In October and November, they were deciding who they could trust.
By the time they step into your store in December, your job isn’t to convince them. It’s to reassure them that they made the right decision.
Too many jewelers miss this memo completely, and that is where the problem lies.
Many retailers wait until December to “sell the holidays,” falsely believing that last-minute promotions or flashy store displays will be enough.
The customers you’re trying to reach have already tuned out that noise.
They aren’t impulsive; they’re more deliberate and thoughtful. They want guidance, not urgency.
They want to feel confident, not pressured.
A customer walking in this month isn’t asking you to persuade them; they’re asking you to help validate their choice.
Many of your potential customers made up their minds weeks ago.
So, what can you do? Here are a few ways you still can influence their decision and capture the sale.
“Your digital presence is not an option; it’s the first impression.” — Emmanuel Raheb, Smart Age Solutions
First, focus on being clear. Make it easy for people to choose you. Educate them.
Send an email explaining how to pick jewelry styles for everyday wear.
Post an Instagram story showing how a custom piece is made. Include information about timing, when pieces can be ready, what’s realistic for shipping, and how to handle returns or exchanges if needed after the holidays.
These are small touches, but they remove doubt, something discounts alone can’t do.
Customers always notice the difference between being guided and being sold to. You want to be helpful, not hostile.
Second, remember, mobile is where most of the action is happening.
Browsing often happens at night, on a phone, next to a partner, or in the middle of life.
Customers are comparing jewelry stores, saving images of styles they love, and making mental lists of what they want to buy or receive.
If your emails are not formatted to display properly or your website is slow or cluttered, you’re invisible before you even get a chance to talk to them.
This is the reality of jewelry shopping today. Your digital presence is not an option; it’s the first impression.
Third, repetition matters more than urgency.
Customers rarely act after a single exposure. Seeing your jewelry store consistently across all your digital marketing channels (email, social media, pay-per-click, and display ads) helps create familiarity. Familiarity builds trust, and trust builds sales.
One helpful message a week beats three frantic pushes in late December.
Consistency tells the customer that you are reliable, approachable, and ready to guide them with care. You become the jeweler of choice, not chance.
“If your posts feel warm and approachable, but your in-store experience feels unfriendly, rushed or transactional, hesitation will grow.” — Emmanuel Raheb, Smart Age Solutions
Finally, being in total alignment is critical. Your online presence and your jewelry showroom both need to feel like the same store.
If your posts feel warm and approachable, but your in-store experience feels unfriendly, rushed, or transactional, hesitation will grow.
When everything has the same tone, visuals, and experience, the customer moves naturally from research to purchase. Sales become frictionless.
December might feel too late, but it’s not entirely hopeless. There’s still an opportunity for you to guide customers, earn their confidence, and close more holiday sales.
But the bigger lesson is for 2026: start earlier, communicate consistently, and educate long before trying to sell.
Yes, sales happen in December, but decisions happen much earlier.
Jewelers who understand this and act on it don’t just survive the holidays. They dominate them, year after year.
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