10 holiday consumer trends brands should know

That’s according to a study out today by Yesmail, which surveyed 500 consumers about their holiday spending habits and analyzed the marketing campaigns of 20 major brands. Yesmail makes email-marketing software.

The results could help shape your brand’s holiday marketing efforts online—or at least make you go, “Hmmmmm…”

Here are 10 findings from the study:

1. Most consumers (51 percent) start their holiday shopping in October or November. This time frame coincides with big shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the study noted. Twenty percent start their shopping before October, though 24 percent wait until December.

2. Consumers plan to spend more money this year. During the 2011 holidays, sales increased by 4.1 percent, and it appears that trend will continue in 2012. Seven out of 10 people surveyed plan to spend the same or more than they did last year.