From Halloween to Christmas, retailers are almost guaranteed to be busy. With increased customer foot traffic and higher buyer intent, the holiday season is your biggest opportunity to drive revenue. 

The key? Using eye-catching seasonal displays to boost visibility, inspire impulse buys and keep customers coming back.

Here’s what retailers should know about holiday planning and utilizing displays to maximize sales throughout the Christmas season.

2025 Seasonal Consumer Spending Predictions

Consumer spending traditionally increases during the holiday season, with people buying gifts, travelling, and hosting friends and family. Aligning your retail strategy with holidays and seasonal trends can help you drive higher sales and capitalize on customer attention. 

Consumer buying trends change each year, with 2025 predictions estimating that Canadians’ overall holiday spending could decrease by 10% compared to last year. 

A prediction of decreased consumer spending this year shouldn’t cause panic for retailers, however. Instead, it’s the best time to reevaluate your strategy, ensuring your products and displays encourage customers to choose your products over alternatives.

Additionally, the 2025 Canadian Holiday Outlook from PwC found that despite the prevalence of online shopping, consumers still seek in-store opportunities to view products before buying. For retailers, this unchanged reality of in-person shopping means an opportunity to boost impulse buys.

Confectionery and snack goods are easy add-ons for customers, helping retailers increase basket size while also delivering real value. Seasonal offerings are a low-cost but high-impact addition to your holiday sales strategy.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of incorporating seasonal displays into your retail strategy.

Retailer Benefits of Seasonal Displays

Draw Attention

During the busy holiday rush, shoppers move quickly and are often focused on checking off their lists. Showcasing seasonal items, especially with decorative displays, can help catch a buyer’s eye and encourage them to add items to the cart before moving on. 

Create Urgency

Seasons come, and seasons go. Holiday displays should effortlessly communicate the limited-time nature of the season. Highlighting special flavours or exclusive offers creates a sense of urgency that drives customers to purchase before they disappear. 

Tapping into this urgency, or “fear of missing out,” makes impulse buys more effective. 

Drive an Emotional Connection

The holidays are typically associated with positive memories; however, busy shopping experiences don’t always reflect that. To put customers at ease and provide a positive retail experience, seasonal offerings can draw on positive emotions. 

Whether it’s a favourite childhood candy or a flavour loved by a family member, sparking nostalgia and emotion is a powerful strategy for retailers. 

Tips for Effective Seasonal Displays

No matter if seasonal displays are small additions to your lineup or the focus of your seasonal strategy, here’s how to make your holiday displays work harder for you:

Location, Location, Location

Placement is everything. Placing seasonal items near the entrance can help set the tone for a customer’s shopping experience.

In addition, seasonal displays are usually most effective near the point of sale. Endcaps, checkout lanes, and countertop displays are prime spots to encourage impulse buys and last-minute additions by creating a sense of urgency.

Timing

When do most customers start their holiday shopping? According to Deloitte, Canadians may begin their searches as early as October.

Setting up your holiday displays early helps you capture both planners and last-minute shoppers. The sooner your displays are active, the more buying opportunities you can create. 

Simple, Yet Themed

Seasonal displays don’t have to be complicated to be effective. 

Cottage Country’s seasonal displays focus on letting the products speak for themselves. With simple signage and display solutions, you can help customers rediscover favourites and find new holiday varieties.

Highlight Seasonal Flavours

Limited-time offerings are what make seasonal displays so effective. Use signage and clear displays to highlight seasonal flavours, and draw attention to what’s new or a returning favourite.

Maximize Holiday Sales with Cottage Country

Seasonal displays are an effective way to boost sales during one of the busiest retail seasons of the year. From encouraging impulse purchases to highlighting seasonal products, incorporating holiday displays is a simple way to drive revenue. 

Whether you’re managing a single convenience store or a nationwide retailer, our team can help you navigate seasonal sales. Our holiday products are made to spark joy and nostalgia, helping you connect with customers all season long. With Cottage Country, you can go beyond the mundane and bring excitement to your customers during the holidays. 

Have questions about how to get started? You can read more about our retail programs or send us an inquiry.