3 Ways to Help Members Through the Holiday Season

The season of giving (and spending!) is here, and you can bet your bottom dollar that consumers everywhere are preparing for it.

The question is: are you?

Whether you're in the business of customer loyalty, employee engagement, or member retention, the holidays represent a major opportunity to strengthen the relationships you value most.

Here at Access, we want to help you get ready. After all, 92% of consumers say they plan to "celebrate the season" this year, giving you a chance to fill a stocking with goodwill. Read on to learn more about how (and why) a little extra care and consideration can go a long way during the holidays.

Holiday Spending: Bigger Than Ever

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, people are feeling pressure to stay on top of their holiday shopping with 32% of U.S. consumers starting their yuletide spending as early as July, and another 29% beginning in November. 

There's no intention of slowing down the festive spending this year as retail holiday sales in the U.S. are predicted to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023, with consumer spending expected to reach a record $902 per person on average across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items.

It's no secret people are spending larger-than-usual sums of money to get ready for the holidays. So what exactly is on everyone’s wish list this year?

The most popular ask is gift cards (53%) followed by clothing and accessories (49%), books and other media (28%), personal care or beauty items (25%), electronics and home decor (22%), jewelry (20%), sporting goods (17%), and home improvement (16%).

 Holiday Stress is a Grinch

Most of us are no strangers to the added stress that comes with the winter season. Holiday shopping can stir up anxiety in the best of us, with three out of five Americans reporting their stress levels increase during this season. Only 2% of Americans report feeling completely stress-free this holiday season. Inflation stands as the top source of stress (31%), followed by the pressures of gift shopping (18%) and navigating challenging family dynamics (17%).

To make that load even heavier, eight in ten Americans say the expectations and events around the holidays cause them to feel increased stress, and 28% say they get less sleep around the holidays.

So how can you help your members avoid holiday stress this year?

3 Ways to Help Members Through the Holidays

The silver lining here? Member-engagement professionals have an opportunity to swoop in and offer some help to brighten up your members' holidays.

1. Focus on giving not receiving.

It's a great time of year to celebrate your members and customers. There's no sense in adding to their already large to-do list by asking them to do something like take a survey, sign up for a newsletter, etc. Instead, help ease the intensity of the holidays by sending a festive thank you or treating them to a small gift of appreciation.

For example, many people collect the holiday cards they receive and set them out as decor for the season. Why not add to their collection with a personalized card from you? Most people appreciate something as simple as a handwritten note, gift basket, flowers, festive treats, a gift card, etc.

And if you happen to have an actual business location, consider offering up your space as a safe haven from the holiday chaos. Provide some warm cocoa, hot cider, a few holiday eats or some trendy food trucks, festive decorations, warm blankets, or even a nostalgic movie playing in the background.

2. Provide charitable giving opportunities.

Sometimes focusing on giving to those less fortunate is the best medicine, as it's been proven that philanthropy increases feelings of happiness. Choose a charity or two to rally behind during the holiday season and extend the opportunity to your members to help spread some cheer to those in need. Some of our personal favorites are Toys for Tots, Oxfam America Unwrapped, Hope International, Angel Tree and World Wildlife Fund. 

You might also try coordinating local volunteer events, allowing members to donate their time in the spirit of service. Planning a time to help out at your nearby animal rescue shelter, food pantry, homeless shelter, retirement home or Red Cross are all great ways to bring your members together in a collective effort to make a difference in your community.

3. Give the gift of member discounts (our personal favorite).

If there's one thing we can be sure of this holiday season, it's that the majority of people will be shopping. Before making those purchases, 76% of consumers will look for deals and 65% expect membership and rewards programs to influence their purchases. 

Discounts matter to the majority of your members and customers, so why not take advantage of this need to save? Offer to help stretch their paychecks a little further during the holiday shopping frenzy by providing a members-only discount program.

Discount and loyalty programs are kind of our specialty here at Access. We care about providing clients and their members with relevant, quality discounts they're excited to get out and use. With merchants in 99% of retail communities in America, Access members are always near a relevant offer. Our savings network includes over 300,000 popular national merchants as well as valuable, local savings to places your members shop every day.

And with 56% of U.S. shoppers expected to use their phones to buy gifts and 45% planning in-store purchases, show-your-phone discounts are a must. Our Access mobile app allows your members to search thousands of mobile offers for great discounts they can use at retailers nearby. Effortless and hassle-free!

Tis' the season for giving - whether it's giving a thank you, a small gift, the opportunity to serve, or a discount program, members will appreciate your efforts to bring a little peace of mind to an otherwise stressful time of year.

Happy Holidays!