With pumpkins and candy a rapidly fading memory, the holiday rush is officially upon us.  According to the BIGresearch Consumer Intentions and Actions survey conducted for the NRF last month, fully 44% of online consumers started their holiday shopping before the end of October, and another third will be starting their shopping this month.

Knowing that it’s all about making the best of the season in a tough year, Josh Greene, Shop.org’s VP of Member Services, recently sent to Shop.org members a summary of the many holiday resources available.  If you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to read the letter from our home page.

As you’ll see, the hardest part probably lies in simply figuring out where to dive in first among the many resources available.  For what it’s worth, my approach would probably be as follows:

“Ten trends to watch this holiday season.” From our colleagues at the NRF, great “big picture” perspective on consumers and the holiday season.

Hear what consumers have to say.  It’s one thing to read charts, graphs and numbers (this from someone who likes delving into a good set of data over breakfast).  Listen to what consumers have to say in their own words about how they’re approaching this holiday season.  Again – perspective.

Shop.org’s 8^th annual eHoliday Study – if you didn’t already catch some of the pre-holiday survey highlights, see my blog post on the subject.  Be sure also to check out the results summary (member login required for this resource).  We surveyed both consumers and retailers, so it’s a nice balance of consumer input and industry benchmarking.

There’s much more, so please share the resources with your colleagues / team.  We’ll also be following up in the coming weeks with additional insight and research for you.  In the meantime, here’s wishing you a strong start to the season!