Q5 marketing is a campaign plan for the post-Christmas shopping period. Think with Google uses “Q5” for December 26 through mid-January; it is a convenient marketing label, not a formally standardized retail quarter. For a practical plan, start with the days immediately after Christmas, then extend into January only if your customers, stock and results justify it.
Why plan for the week after Christmas?
Some shoppers keep buying after December 25—for deals, to spend gift cards, to exchange a gift or to find a late present. In a National Retail Federation survey of 8,005 U.S. adults conducted December 1–10, 2025, 70% said they planned to shop during the week after December 25. That is stated intent, not a count of completed purchases; the survey reported a margin of error of ±1.1 percentage points. Among respondents planning to shop, 45% cited holiday sales and promotions and 26% cited gift cards as reasons. Those findings point to useful campaign themes, not guaranteed sales. NRF’s survey results
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Returns and exchanges also shape the period. NRF says most holiday returns happen in January, and some customers make another purchase or browse post-holiday sales while handling a return. Adobe’s U.S. ecommerce analysis found that one in seven online holiday returns in the 2025 season took place December 26–31; returns during those six days were up 4.7% year over year. These figures describe different aspects of the season, not a promise that return visits will become purchases. NRF’s winter holiday FAQ · Adobe’s 2025 holiday analysis
Choose a campaign that fits the shopper and your stock
Do not begin by assuming every business needs a discount. Pick a message that matches what customers may be trying to do and what you can fulfill profitably. Google’s Q5 guidance suggests addressing gift-card or holiday-money spending and belated gifting; NRF’s survey supports sales and gift-card themes. Google’s Q5 guidance
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| Shopper intent | Campaign angle | Check before promoting |
|---|---|---|
| Looking for a post-holiday deal | Promote selected sale items or seasonal stock. | Confirm the discount leaves enough margin and the advertised items are available. |
| Spending a gift card or holiday cash | Show useful products across relevant price points and make gift-card use clear. | Check eligible products, redemption steps and any restrictions. |
| Exchanging or returning a gift | Make exchange information easy to find; where appropriate, help customers discover alternatives. | Keep the return process clear and do not make a purchase a condition of service. |
| Shopping for a belated gift | Highlight items that can still arrive or be collected when promised. | Verify stock, delivery estimates and pickup availability before publishing. |
| Buying for themselves | Frame relevant products as a self-purchase, without relying on holiday-gift language. | Make sure the message suits the category and the remaining inventory. |
Set the campaign window and sequence
Google’s definition runs from December 26 to mid-January, but a small business may only need a focused plan for the first week. Decide the end date before launch and avoid leaving stale holiday copy or unavailable offers running into January.
- Before December 26: Confirm sale terms, stock, gift-card rules, return and exchange information, shipping estimates and pickup options. Prepare creative for the audiences you can serve.
- December 26–31: Lead with the most relevant immediate message—such as an in-stock post-holiday offer, gift-card use or exchange support. Check that ads, product pages and fulfillment promises agree.
- Early January: Review performance and inventory. Continue only the messages that remain relevant; shift to January-specific creative or end the campaign when the offer, stock or customer need has passed.
- Through mid-January, if warranted: Keep campaigns live only where prior results and current conditions support them. Google’s date range is a planning convention, not a required campaign duration.
Make the buying and service journey work
Keep every promise consistent
Check that the ad, landing page, product page and checkout show the same price, availability, delivery or collection promise, and offer terms. If an item sells out or a delivery cutoff passes, pause or update the promotion instead of sending customers into a dead end.
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Test the mobile path
Review product discovery, gift-card redemption, checkout and return information on a phone—not just on a desktop. Adobe reported that smartphones accounted for 56.4% of U.S. online holiday transactions from November 1 through December 31, 2025. That is full-season context, not a Q5-only statistic, but it makes mobile checkout a sensible place to look for friction. Adobe’s holiday results
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Make return instructions and eligibility easy to locate, and plan staff capacity for January service demand. If a customer asks about an alternative, offer relevant discovery without slowing or obstructing the return itself. NRF describes additional purchases as something some consumers do during a return visit—not an outcome every retailer should expect.
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- Premium Quality Notebook for Work: Golden spiral binding is sturdy and flexible, with easy-to-turn pages. Hot-stamped cover is water-resistant and not easy to bend. Bonus Bookmark and Pockets. Perfectly hold up well to frequent transfers in and out of backpacks, briefcases, and cars.
- Fight Ink-bleeding & Great Size: The high-end 100gsm paper could prevent ink bleeding through or feathering, handle double-sided writing and most daily use pens pretty well. The office/business work notebook measures 7.5"x 10"(similar to B5 size), Generous size provides ample space to jot down your meeting notes.
- Each 160 Pages Per Book: Provide ample space for note taking & planning and with the date section at the top for tracking them. With 160 pages for meeting minutes, the manager notebook will cover more than half a year, even in daily use. Also provides index pages for organizing this office planner.
- Better Tool Drives Better Meetings: The hassle of organizing the chaotic meeting notes VS this professional meeting notebook. Definitely a step up! Everything is neatly zoned on each page makes it a breeze to fill them out and ensure all you need are accounted for.
Measure results against your own baseline
Choose a primary outcome for each campaign before it starts. A sales promotion might be judged on conversion or revenue; a gift-card message on redemptions; a return-support initiative on completed exchanges or service outcomes. Track qualified visits when awareness or product discovery is the goal. Compare results by audience intent, channel and device, and use a consistent measurement window and a relevant prior-period baseline. The cited sources do not establish a universal Q5 sales forecast, discount level, budget, posting cadence or performance target.
Adobe reported $257.8 billion in U.S. online spending from November 1 through December 31, 2025, up 6.8% year over year. That broad holiday-season total does not isolate Q5 and should not be treated as a forecast for an individual business. Adobe also attributed 20.4% of online revenue share in its 2025 holiday channel analysis to “affiliates and partners,” a category that includes social media influencers, compared with 17.6% in 2024. This is Adobe’s attribution result for the season, not a guaranteed return from using affiliates. Adobe’s holiday results
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- Plenty Of Space For Efficient Planning: Stay focused & manage your time wisely! The 8.4x6.1” work planner & organizer notebook offers ample space for 105 days of life-changing planning with each day being spread across 2 pages - set yourself up for purposeful days
- Now Is The Best Time To Start: The daily planner is undated so you can start to add structure to your schedule and cultivate new planning habits right away! Beat procrastination, boost happiness & make each day count with the hourly planner
- Adds Beauty To Daily Planning: A gorgeous dark green linen cover, chic golden letters, a gold ring wire and a clean, easy-to-use layout, elastic band - enjoy the lovely and modern design of the undated daily planner!
A short Q5 planning checklist
- Define whether your campaign ends December 31, continues into January or runs through mid-January.
- Choose an audience need and message that match your products, stock and margins.
- Verify offer terms, inventory, delivery or pickup promises, gift-card rules and return information.
- Test the ad-to-checkout journey on a phone.
- Set one main outcome, a measurement window and a baseline before launch.
- Review results and availability during the campaign; update or stop messages that no longer fit.
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