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The company offered guidance on how to plan for ad spending and promotional budgeting ahead of the upcoming shopping season.
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There are now just over 120 days until December, which means that marketers need to start locking in their holiday sales strategies in order to make the most of the upcoming shopping season.
To help with this, Meta launched a new Holiday Insights Center, which provides access to a range of usage stats and ad tips to help marketers build their holiday marketing plan. The company also published the results of a recent survey of nearly 15,000 holiday shoppers across 18 countries to provide more guidance on how consumers are planning to spend their money this year.
According to the data, that spend could be big. Meta said that the 2026 holidays are expected to drive more than $1.4 trillion in retail spend, while online shopping is currently growing 2.5x faster than in-store sales.
Key insights from Meta’s new survey include:
Meta also reported that 49% of holiday shoppers who use its apps are planning to spend more this year than they did in 2025, which could provide valuable opportunities for marketers.
In addition to these insights, Meta also published a new Holiday Marketing Playbook for SMBs, which includes a range of data-backed tips and insights.
Meta’s holiday playbook also includes user engagement notes and stats, which could offer guidance on potential opportunities.
Meta also included seasonal pointers to assist with 2026 promotional planning.“Black Friday is November 27, 2026 — only 28 days until Christmas, about a week less than most years,†Meta said. “Start ads by mid-October to let Meta learn before the peak. More demand will compress into the Black Friday-Cyber Monday window — plan so budgets lean in, not pull back.â€
The company also provided checklists and tips for Meta ads to ensure that SMBs maximize their opportunities.
This guide also highlights key artificial intelligence tools that can assist with campaign set-up and audience reach.
The consumer insights and pointers could provide valuable guidance for campaign planning and mapping out the most effective approach to seasonal promotions.