Holiday shopping in September isn't consumer demand - it's retailer conditioning. In this episode, hosts Todd Juneay and Kelly McGuire are joined by e-commerce strategist Matt Crincoli to examine:

• how "holiday creep" trained shoppers to wait for discounts
• why the Big Five shopping days are losing power
• how mobile commerce collapsed the purchase journey into impulse-driven seconds.

They explore the discount trap eroding brand value, the unsustainable returns culture Gen Alpha is rejecting, why most AI gift tools miss the mark, and what it takes to build authentic brand connections when promotional noise becomes overwhelming.

As consumer psychology shifts faster than retail strategy, this conversation reveals what's breaking beneath the surface, and what comes next for brands willing to compete on value instead of volume.

Key Topics:

• Holiday creep as behavioral conditioning
• Mobile commerce's impact on purchase psychology
• The discount death spiral and brand value erosion
• Returns culture's economic and environmental costs
• AI gift recommendations and what makes them work
• Strategic alternatives to constant promotion

Perfect for retail leaders, e-commerce teams, brand strategists, and anyone wondering why holiday shopping starts earlier and earlier.

Chapters

- 00:00:00 – 2025 holiday landscape

- 00:01:30 – Holiday creep and consumer training

- 00:04:10 – Novelty dilution in holiday shopping

- 00:05:20 – Big Five days versus early strategies

- 00:07:00 – End-caps create retail demand

- 00:10:00 – Psychology trumps price in shopping

- 00:12:10 – Discount wars harm brand value

- 00:14:20 – Mobile/social streamlines purchase path

- 00:16:30 – Shop Pay moves POS to phones

- 00:19:00 – Returns culture hurts sustainability

- 00:22:00 – Gen Alpha pushes back

- 00:27:30 – AI gift help needs good prompts

- 00:31:00 – Brand strategy for authentic connection

Links and Resources:

• Matt Crincoli on LinkedIn
• Kelly Maguire on LinkedIn
• Todd Juneau on LinkedIn
• Vuja Dé Digital 

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Contrary to Popular Opinion? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube to leave us a review!