Two in five US consumers plan to start holiday shopping by October's end. Here are four practical checks for your product pages, payments and delivery promises.
Holiday shoppers are already making plans. Store owners should use October to check their product pages, payment flow and delivery promises.
PayPal's survey released on 30 September 2026 found that two in five US consumers plan to begin holiday shopping by the end of October. Also, 64% expect to spend the same or more than last year.
These are spending intentions, not completed sales. Morning Consult surveyed 2,005 US adults from 2 to 4 September, weeks before the results were published.
Adobe's holiday forecast, dated 28 September, also points to early discounts supporting October spending. It remains a forecast, so retailers should compare it with their own orders and customer behaviour.
Our practical reading: waiting until Black Friday to discover checkout problems leaves less time to fix them.
A shopper comparing several stores needs clear prices, accurate stock information and a payment process they can complete.
Show the full cost early. Make delivery charges, product options and return conditions easy to find. Give customers enough information to decide before they reach payment.
Complete a purchase on your phone. Test product selection, address entry, payment and the confirmation message. Repeat with a failed payment. Check that the customer knows what happened and can safely try again.
Check stock and delivery promises. Confirm that the storefront matches available inventory. Publish realistic delivery windows and give someone responsibility for updating them.
Measure completed orders. Track how many customers begin checkout, attempt payment and receive confirmation. Review support messages alongside those numbers to identify where people get stuck.
The PayPal figures describe US consumers. They do not establish Nigerian shopping patterns or guarantee higher revenue for any store.
Nigerian and other African retailers can use the same audit while checking their own payment preferences, delivery areas and seasonal demand.
Start with one improvement, record the result and compare it with your baseline. A useful October target is simple: customers can see the real cost, pay successfully and understand when their order will arrive.
0 comments
Loading comments...