As the summer sun blazes, smart retailers are already implementing strategies for holiday shopping season prep. With consumer behaviors evolving and expectations rising, retailers are looking for innovative ways to bring customers in-store, improve their experience, and ensure efficient operations. In this blog we’ll cover this year’s holiday season trends, emerging issues, and the must-have solutions.
Holiday Shoppers Are Starting Earlier Than Ever
According to Adobe’s 2025 Retail Insights, nearly 30% of consumers plan to start shopping before October. This shift compresses backend operations and forces retailers to have fulfillment, inventory, and staffing strategies locked in before fall.
Why it matters: Earlier shopping requires earlier readiness. That means optimizing store logistics, especially for omnichannel fulfillment, well before Black Friday hits.
BOPIS Remains Essential for Holiday Shopping Season Prep
Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a baseline. In fact, over 72% of U.S. shoppers say they prefer retailers that offer BOPIS because it blends convenience with immediate access.
Emerging issue: As demand spikes during peak season, manual BOPIS fulfillment often leads to long lines, inventory errors, and frustrated customers.
Download our guide to BOPIS lockers to explore how automated locker solutions are modernizing the pickup experience.
Gen Z Is Driving In-Store Traffic, But Expect More
Digital-first Gen Z shoppers are influencing holiday spending this year, but they still crave unique, efficient in-store experiences. Self-serve solutions, speed, and personalization are key to winning their loyalty.
Quick stat: 63% of Gen Z planned to make purchases at brick-and-mortar retailers during the 2024 holiday season compared to the 50% who planned to shop online.
Read our blog on Gen Z’s shopping preferences for tips on adapting your store layout and fulfillment model.
Labor Shortages Are Forcing Smarter Tech Investments
Retailers continue to grapple with labor shortages, especially during seasonal surges making operational considerations a major focus of holiday shopping season prep. Leading chains are reducing pressure on staff by investing in self-service tech that automates high-volume tasks like order pickup and returns.
Key takeaway: Automating the last 100 feet of fulfillment is no longer optional, it’s a necessity to protect customer experience and operational efficiency.
Streamline Holiday Fulfillment with BOPIS Lockers
Smart lockers give retailers a way to improve fulfillment while easing pressure on frontline teams. Shoppers skip the counter. Staff save time. Everyone wins.
Luxer One’s BOPIS locker system is already driving major impact for leading retailers:
- Seamless integrations with retail systems
- Secure, weather-rated hardware
- Automated notifications for faster pickup
- Support for returns and exchanges
See how a national big-box retailer saved over $57M using Luxer One BOPIS lockers.
Holiday Readiness Starts Now
Holiday shopping season prep isn’t just about stocking shelves, it’s about removing friction at every step. By understanding early trends and investing in smarter fulfillment tools, retailers can boost loyalty, reduce chaos, and win more seasonal revenue.
Get the full BOPIS locker guide to future-ready your holiday strategy with Luxer One or contact us below to get started today!
