Christmas starts long before December - The trends shaping the 2026 festive season

When we think about Christmas, most of us picture twinkling lights, festive shop windows and the last-minute rush to find the perfect gift. For the home and gift industry, however, Christmas starts much earlier. In fact, many businesses are already designing, buying and planning for Christmas 2026.

 

That was exactly the focus of our latest Gift & The Gab session, where we were joined by Christmas trend forecaster and founder of Jolly Festive, Hannah Bartlett. With Christmas planning well underway across the industry, Hannah shared her thoughts on what will resonate most with consumers over the coming festive season and, perhaps more importantly, why?

Rather than simply predicting colours or product trends, the conversation centred on understanding the emotions behind Christmas purchasing decisions. Because whilst trends may influence what people buy, emotion is often the reason they buy it.

Consumers are looking for meaning, not just more products
One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was that today's consumers are becoming increasingly selective. They aren't simply filling their baskets with festive decorations or gifts because it's Christmas. They're looking for products that help create memories, celebrate traditions and strengthen relationships.

For brands, this represents a real opportunity.

Rather than asking "How do we sell this product?", the more powerful question becomes "How does this product make somebody feel?"

Whether it's gathering around the dinner table, decorating the tree together or finding the perfect thoughtful gift, consumers are increasingly drawn towards products that represent moments, rather than possessions.

For businesses in the home and gift sector, this is good news. Many of the products our members create already lend themselves naturally to storytelling. The challenge is making sure those stories are being told.

 

Storytelling is becoming one of your biggest marketing tools
One point Hannah returned to several times was that storytelling doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

In fact, smaller businesses often have an advantage.

Customers want to know the people behind the brand. They want to see the preparations before a Christmas market, the excitement of launching a new collection, the inevitable things that don't quite go to plan and the traditions that inspire your products. Those authentic moments help people feel invested in your journey rather than simply becoming another customer.

During the discussion, we explored how businesses can use behind the scenes content, personal experiences and genuine conversations with customers to build stronger emotional connections. The advice wasn't about creating polished advertising campaigns. It was about showing the personality behind the brand.

As Hannah explained, people remember how a brand makes them feel. That emotional connection is often what keeps them coming back.

 

You don't need a huge marketing budget to create impact
One question from the group focused on something many smaller businesses worry about.

How do you compete with larger brands that have dedicated marketing teams and significant advertising budgets?

Hannah's answer was refreshingly reassuring.

Rather than trying to outspend larger retailers, smaller brands should lean into what makes them different. Share your own traditions. Show the making process. Introduce the people behind the business. Invite customers into your journey and let them feel part of it.

Your audience doesn't expect perfection. They expect authenticity.

Starting those conversations well before Christmas also gives businesses the opportunity to build excitement gradually, rather than appearing only when the festive advertising begins. By the time the Christmas rush arrives, your audience already feels connected to your brand.

 

Nostalgia isn't going anywhere, but it is evolving
It's impossible to talk about Christmas without talking about nostalgia.

The session explored why familiar traditions continue to resonate so strongly, particularly during uncertain times. Christmas naturally encourages people to revisit childhood memories, family traditions and comforting rituals.

However, Hannah was keen to stress that nostalgia doesn't have to mean recreating the past exactly as it was.

Consumers still want something fresh.

Brands have an opportunity to reinterpret classic festive themes through modern design, contemporary styling and new product ideas that still evoke those warm, familiar feelings. The magic comes from balancing tradition with originality, rather than choosing one or the other.

 

Trends are only useful when you understand why they matter
As you would expect from a Christmas trend forecaster, Hannah touched on the colours, finishes and aesthetics beginning to emerge for 2026; the classic red and green, but also an unexpected blue are expected to be the festive colours for 2026, and even a perhaps unexpected blue and brown pairing.

Interestingly though, she was quick to explain that simply following colours or copying popular styles isn't enough.

Without understanding why a particular trend is resonating with consumers, it's easy to apply it in the wrong way.

Instead of chasing every trend, businesses should think about whether it genuinely fits their own brand and their own customers.

That idea sparked a really interesting discussion among members about staying true to your brand identity whilst still keeping collections feeling fresh each year.

 

Personalisation continues to be incredibly powerful
Another topic that generated plenty of discussion was personalisation.

Consumers increasingly want products that feel unique to them. That doesn't necessarily mean every product has to be bespoke.

Sometimes it's about creating opportunities for customers to feel involved.

Whether that's allowing them to personalise an item, vote on a new design, contribute to a collection or simply feel part of your brand's journey, involvement creates ownership.

People value products differently when they feel they've helped shape the story behind them.

 

Limited editions can create excitement
The conversation also explored the growing popularity of limited-edition Christmas collections.

Annual keepsakes and collectible ranges continue to perform well because they give customers a reason to return year after year.

For businesses that can manage stock carefully, limited releases can create anticipation and reinforce the idea that Christmas products are something special rather than simply seasonal merchandise.

 

What about sustainability?
Sustainability remains an important consideration, although members recognised that consumer behaviour can sometimes differ from consumer intention.

Rather than viewing sustainability as a completely separate conversation, Hannah explained that it increasingly sits alongside ideas of quality, longevity and buying with purpose.

Consumers are becoming more interested in products that last, can be treasured and passed on, or carry a meaningful story. In many ways, that complements the emotional side of gifting perfectly.

 

The biggest takeaway
Perhaps the biggest lesson from the session wasn't about a particular colour, product or trend at all.

It was that successful Christmas marketing starts with people.

The businesses that stand out won't necessarily be those with the biggest advertising budget or the largest product range. They'll be the ones that make customers feel something.

That could be through nostalgia.

Through humour.

Through family traditions.

Through craftsmanship.

Or simply by showing the real people behind the business.

As always, one of the best parts of Gift & The Gab was hearing members build on each other's ideas. Questions from members sparked conversations around everything from seasonal collections and colour palettes to sustainability and customer engagement, with everyone sharing experiences and practical ideas that others could take away and apply to their own businesses. It was a fantastic reminder that some of the most valuable insights come from bringing the industry together.

As we look ahead to Christmas 2026, perhaps that's the biggest trend of all. Consumers aren't simply looking for more products. They're looking for products with meaning, brands with personality and businesses that help create memories worth sharing.

A huge thank you to Hannah Bartlett from Jolly Festive for sharing her expertise with our members. Her insights reminded us that whilst trends will always evolve, the emotional power of Christmas remains timeless.

If you joined the session, we'd love to hear what your biggest takeaway was. And if you missed it, keep an eye on our upcoming Gift & The Gab sessions as there's plenty more inspiration still to come.