1 in 4 dollars is made in peak season, or November and December
While consumer surveys suggest that holiday shopping starts earlier each year, Klaviyo’s data tells a more nuanced story. In 2024, nearly 25% of all ecommerce GMV occurred in November and December—showing that while shoppers say they start early, their wallets reflect a different reality. Peak discounting, high buyer intent, and massive revenue concentration are all still tied directly to BFCM and the holiday season.
This guide breaks down what’s really happening—and what brands should be doing now to prepare.
Peak season is intensifying
And while some brands launch promotions early, the best deals still arrive closer to BFCM. In September and October, brands offered the smallest discounts of the year—so early shoppers paid more than those who waited.
Discounting alone doesn’t work
Consumers want—and convert on—bigger offers.
- Low-AOV shoppers converted on average discounts of 33% during peak season—roughly double what worked in non-peak months.
- High-AOV shoppers needed only a modest increase to convert—around 15%, up slightly from ~10% the rest of the year.
In other words, peak-season discounting works best when it’s tiered—not uniform.
What to do with this insight
SMS converts more with less
Buyers on SMS need less incentive to act.
- Repeat buyers via SMS converted on just a 9% discount, while repeat buyers via email needed nearly 20% off.
- New SMS buyers required 12% off, while new email buyers needed closer to 16%
What to do with this insight
SMS wins first orders in peak
SMS is a top-performing channel for acquiring new customers during peak.
This makes SMS a critical channel for earning that first order, especially when shopper intent is high and consumers are open to trying new brands.
What to do with this insight
SMS revenue doubles in November
The data proves it: SMS is a peak-season powerhouse.
In the US, SMS accounted for 14% of annual GMV in November alone, more than double its share in most other months. The UK and Australia/New Zealand followed a similar pattern, with November representing their highest SMS-attributed GMV of the year at 21% for both regions.
What to do with this insight
Built for this moment. Built for BFCM.

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