Retailers heading into the 2024 holiday season found themselves in familiar territory: crowded markets, rising customer expectations, and more competition than ever. But new data from Endear, the retail CRM built for modern brands, suggests one trend clearly separated winners from everyone else—personalization. According to the company, brands using Endear’s clienteling tools drove up to 40x higher conversion rates than traditional marketing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, generating over $50 million in revenue.

In a season where U.S. retail sales are projected to reach $960 billion, that kind of performance edge isn’t just helpful—it’s decisive. And while e-commerce continues to expand, shoppers still flock to stores. Endear reports that 72% of customers visit physical locations weekly, making in-store interactions a rich source of data for tailored follow-ups.

Clienteling Goes Mainstream

For years, clienteling—using customer data to craft one-to-one outreach—was considered a luxury tactic reserved for high-end retailers. Endear’s latest findings show it has become essential for every brand trying to turn holiday foot traffic into long-term loyalty.

“Foot traffic spikes during the holidays, but the real opportunity is turning one-time visitors into repeat customers,” said Leigh Sevin, co-founder and CEO of Endear. She highlighted the value of personal details gathered by sales associates, such as style preferences, upcoming events, and price expectations. These insights allow teams to craft messages that feel less like marketing and more like genuine service.

Based on engagement across 1,000 stores in 19 countries, Endear’s data makes the case that individualized outreach beats generic blasts. At a time when inboxes overflow with holiday promotions, messages tied to actual in-store behavior stand out.

Why Personalization Wins During Peak Season

The holiday period is retail’s most compressed and chaotic window. With shoppers bouncing between social feeds, influencer recaps, product rankings, and multiple storefronts, staying top-of-mind requires more than a good discount.

Endear points to several reasons personalization has become a competitive advantage:

Shoppers Reward Relevance

Generic promos blend together. Messages referencing a customer’s recent visit or specific interest cut through the noise.

High Intent Meets High Competition

Customers shopping in November and December are ready to buy. Personalized nudges convert that intent faster.

Relationship Equity Outlives Discounts

A helpful follow-up after the holidays often drives more lifetime value than a BFCM sale.

Brands known for relationship-led selling—Reformation, Glossier, UNTUCKit—are already using Endear’s platform to build this loyalty year-round.

Endear Releases Holiday Clienteling Checklist

To support retailers facing the seasonal surge, Endear published a Black Friday Clienteling Checklist, a structured playbook designed to increase efficiency and improve results. It breaks down key strategies:

1. Engage VIP Customers First

These shoppers deliver the highest lifetime value, so brands must nurture them with:

• Early sale access

• Exclusive discounts

• Personalized recommendations

• Private appointments

• Surprise gifts

2. Automate What You Can

Automation doesn’t have to feel impersonal. With the right CRM, brands can schedule messages such as:

• First-time purchase thank-yous

• Sale announcements

• New collection launches

These touchpoints can appear to come directly from the associate who served the customer.

3. Deploy Personalized Gift Guides

Endear’s Shoppable Stories tool makes it easy to build curated, interactive guides using current product photos. Associates can customize these guides quickly, delivering a more tailored holiday experience.

4. Train Teams with Clear Goals

Associates need clear expectations—sales targets, message quotas, AOV goals—and frequent updates. Visibility keeps teams aligned and motivated during peak season.

5. Keep Going After BFCM

The majority of December’s shopping days happen after Cyber Monday. Retailers often overlook this window. Continuous follow-ups, last-minute gift guides, and timely check-ins help convert late-season shoppers and strengthen long-term relationships.

A Shift in Holiday Strategy

The takeaway from Endear’s findings is clear: high-performing brands are treating personalization not as a “nice to have” but as a core holiday strategy. With consumers flooded by content and promotions, the brands that cut through are the ones that speak directly to individual needs and behaviors.

This approach aligns with broader industry momentum. As retail moves toward relationship-driven experiences, tools like clienteling become essential for growth—not just survival.

Retailers looking to refine their holiday playbooks can explore Endear’s dedicated Holiday Hub, a centralized resource for clienteling frameworks, tips, and best practices built for busy teams.

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