The data: More than 1 in 5 Americans (22%) plan to shop “Christmas in July” sales this year, according to CivicScience. That’s double the share that planned to do so in 2021, reflecting July’s growing importance to the promotional calendar and more strategic holiday shopping tactics from cautious shoppers.

Companies like QVC and Wayfair are banking on shoppers’ desire to score deals before the holiday season officially starts.

• Wayfair’s Black Friday in July sale will run from July 23 to 27, offering “holiday-level savings” on furniture and other home goods.
• QVC enlisted Lance Bass and Danielle Fishel to serve as “Co-Chief Cheer Officers” for its monthlong Christmas in July programming.

Zoom out: Consumers' enthusiasm for "Christmas in July" sales highlights how deal-driven shopping has become. As financial pressures and uncertainty rise, more shoppers are waiting for major sales events like Prime Day to buy. Rather than generating incremental spending, these events often shift the timing of purchases: Nearly half (49%) of Prime Day shoppers planned to buy essentials they would have purchased regardless of the sale, according to a Tinuiti survey. But relying too heavily on promotions to drive spending risks diminishing returns for retailers.

There are already indications that these events are becoming less reliable growth drivers. Marshal Cohen, Circana’s chief retail adviser, told Retail Touchpoints that growth slowed significantly during major retailers’ recent sales weeks, with sales either matching the previous year or declining in unit terms. Dollar sales “remain slightly higher, but that is mostly due to higher costs,” he said.

What this means for the holiday season: Shoppers’ deal fatigue could challenge retailers’ efforts to lengthen the holiday shopping period. While October promotions have become the norm as retailers look to get an early advantage—and keep Amazon from growing its share—companies have to balance early season discounts with preserving promotional momentum for the Cyber Five. That will be especially important this year, as we expect the Cyber Five’s share of total holiday ecommerce sales to rise.

• The five-day shopping period will account for 16.5% of total holiday retail ecommerce sales this year, marking the second consecutive year of share growth.
• Nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) plan to shop on Black Friday, while 61% anticipate making a purchase on Cyber Monday, according to Salsify’s 2026 Holiday Pulse report.
• More consumers believe Black Friday offers significant value this year (39%) than last year (30%), with Cyber Monday showing a similar trend—underscoring the Cyber Five’s reputation among shoppers as the time to score the deepest discounts.

Retailers should restructure their promotional strategies to prioritize quality over quantity. Focusing on key moments, like the Cyber Five, or shortening sales periods could help reduce fatigue among shoppers and selling partners, while ensuring deep enough discounts to motivate deal-driven consumers.

Go further: Read our Holiday Shopping 2026 report.