Christmas — a crucial time for Retail... and for households. The challenge? Finding the perfect gift. Between meticulous organization and last-minute shopping, how do the French really approach it? Find out in our article!

When Do the French Start Looking for Gifts?

Contrary to popular belief, the French don’t leave it to the last minute… In fact, some start their search as early as October!
According to data from Yourban.ai, the French begin thinking about gifts at the very beginning of October.

For brands and shopping centers alike, this is the signal to launch the first “gift” and “advent calendar” marketing campaigns, start communicating about Christmas decorations, and kick off the season of in-store events.

Are the French Late for Christmas?

What happens after December 25th? Do people still search for “Christmas gifts” in January? Not really — after December 25th, searches related to Christmas plummet sharply, signaling it’s time to switch to a new strategy and focus on the next big retail moment: the winter sales!

Top 9 Most Searched Christmas Gift Types on Google in France

Who’s searching for gifts — or rather, for whom? Here’s the answer, thanks to Yourban Intelligence:

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• “Christmas gift for men” – 201K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for women” – 165K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for mom” – 49.5K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for couple” – 33.1K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for teens” – 22.2K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for dad” – 14.8K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for grandma” – 4.4K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for colleague” – 2.4K searches in December 2024
• “Christmas gift for grandpa” – 1.3K searches in December 2024
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For downtown retailers or independent shops, these insights are invaluable: they help adapt stock, communications, and promotional operations according to each category’s natural timeline.

New Trend: Gifts with a Budget Cap

More and more French people are setting spending limits — likely due to the challenging economic climate — and this is clearly visible in search trends.
Here’s the Top 5 budget limits French consumers set, according to Yourban Intelligence:

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• Gift ideas under €10 – 49% of searches
• Gift ideas under €5 – 32% of searches
• Gift ideas under €20 – 12% of searches
• Gift ideas under €15 – 7% of searches
• Gift ideas under €100 – 1% of searches

How to Prepare Your Shopping Center for the Christmas Season

Armed with these insights, here are a few tips to optimize your Christmas preparation:

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• Plan ahead: Start promoting your Christmas and advent calendar offers as early as October.
• Highlight key gift categories: for men, women, teens, couples, colleagues, etc.
• Feature budget-friendly gift ideas (e.g., gifts under €10) in your content, displays, and shop windows.
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Whether you run an online or physical business, these recommendations are essential to capture your consumers’ attention!

About

Yourban.ai is a company specializing in monitoring and analyzing consumer trends. Whether to inform your marketing strategies, refine your offers, or simply gain an external perspective on your brand — don’t hesitate to book a meeting with our team to discover what our data says about you!