Christmas email marketing guide (10 examples+strategies)

Nearly all U.S. adults (91%) plan to celebrate winter holidays, such as Christmas, which means one thing for e-commerce brands: opportunity.

But here’s the challenge: during Christmas, every inbox overflows with “Last-minute deals,” “Gift ideas,” and “Holiday offers.” If your Christmas email marketing doesn’t instantly catch attention, it gets lost in the festive noise.

That’s why in this article, we’ve shared:

• 10 best Christmas email examples with copy-paste templates
• 6 High-converting Christmas email marketing strategies
• Tips to make your emails more Christmassy

6 High-converting Christmas email marketing ideas

Here are the 6 high-converting Christmas email marketing ideas:

1. Christmas gift guides
2. Flash sales & Xmas deals
3. Shipping deadlines
4. Product Spotlights
5. Behind-the-Scenes/Brand Story
6. Contests & Giveaways

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Download the 2025 Christmas Holiday Playbook to unwrap:✔ Essential Christmas ecommerce trends✔ A complete store readiness checklist

1. Christmas gift guides

Providing helpful guides is an essential part of any email marketing strategy. It helps you position yourself as an expert in your field while creating soft sell opportunities.

Click here to view a sample Christmas email gift guide.

What you can do:

• Solve shopper dilemmas: Help customers answer the question, “What should I buy?”
• Segment your guides: Make them hyper-relevant by sending targeted emails for different customer interests.
• Send a series instead of one long email: Avoid overwhelming readers with too many options at once.
• Examples of segmented gift guides:
  • Gifts for the Home Chef
  • Stocking Stuffers Under $20
  • Luxury Gifts for Her
  • Last-Minute Gift Ideas
• Feature more products effectively: Each segmented email allows for focused product promotion.

2. Flash sales & Xmas deals

• Run flash sales: Send discount emails valid for only a few hours to encourage instant action.
• Try Xmas deals: Create 24-hour deals to keep subscribers coming back each day.
• Use time-bound subject lines:
  • “🚨 6 Hours Only! 40% OFF All Sweaters”
• Boost engagement pre-Christmas: This tactic works best in the two weeks leading up to Christmas, when shoppers are actively buying.
• Drive repeated site visits: Frequent, short-term offers keep your brand top of mind and increase conversion opportunities.

Related reading: 10 Best Back in Stock Email Examples (Tips + Free Templates)

3. Christmas shipping delays

• Send a high-priority, service-focused email: Crucial for increasing conversions, especially among last-minute gift shoppers.
  
• Clearly outline all shipping cut-off dates:
  • Standard Shipping
    
  • Expedited Shipping
    
  • Final Deadline for guaranteed Christmas delivery
    
• Keep the email easy to read: Use a simple layout, bold headers, and clear date callouts for quick scanning.
  
• Send multiple reminders: Reiterate deadlines as they approach to create urgency and reduce missed delivery frustrations.
  
• Use strong, urgency-driven subject lines: For example, 🚚 Today is the Last Day for Standard Shipping!”
  
• Encourage immediate action: Highlight that missing the deadline could result in missing the Christmas delivery.

Related reading: 6 Proven strategies to beat Black Friday shipping delays

4. Christmas products spotlights

• Send a focused Product Spotlight email: Highlight a single high-performing product, a new seasonal item, or a curated product bundle.
• Keep the copy short and benefit-driven: Focus on how the product solves a need or enhances the recipient’s experience.
• Add social proof: Feature customer testimonials, reviews, or star ratings to boost trust and credibility.
• Promote hidden gems: Use this format to draw attention to products that might be overlooked in broader gift guides.

Contact our specialist team to launch your Christmas campaign and multiply your returns – Schedule a call.

5. Behind-the-scenes/ Brand story

Not every message needs to push sales; focus on building emotional connection instead.

• Humanize your brand: Showcase your team and company culture to strengthen customer loyalty.
  
• Share authentic content
  • Photos of your team in Christmas sweaters 🎄
  • A video showing how you package holiday orders
  • A heartfelt note from your CEO thanking customers for their support
    
• Use for non-promotional timing: Ideal for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, when audiences are less focused on shopping.

6. Contests & giveaways

• Run a holiday contest or giveaway: An excellent way to boost engagement and grow your email list during the festive season.
  
• Try themed campaigns: For example, a “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway offering daily prizes or one grand prize.
  
• Encourage participation: Let subscribers enter by sharing the contest, tagging friends, or engaging on social media.
  
• Create excitement and buzz: Contests drive anticipation and increase your brand’s visibility through social sharing.
  
• Boost email engagement: Give subscribers a fun, festive reason to open your emails and interact with your brand.

Related reading: 12 Most Important Email Marketing Metrics & KPIs to Track

10 Best Christmas email examples

Here are the 10 best Christmas email examples :

1. Moment – Christmas gift guide email example
2. Christmas shipping reminder email example from Moment
3. 25% Off Christmas discount email for pet lovers
4. Merry Quizmas email from Uplers
5. Christmas email example from Chick-fil-a
6. Christmas email for re-releasing seasonal products
7. Christmas gift pack email
8. Merry Christmas and New Year greeting email example
9. Exclusive holiday text alerts email
10. The low alcohol, low-stress Christmas gift email

1. Moment – Christmas gift guide email example

This Christmas email example from Moment focuses on making the gift-buying process easy and segmented for the customer.

Key takeaways:

• Effective segmentation & scannability: Categorized gift sections like “For the Photographer”, etc, make shopping easy and relevant.
  
• Benefit-oriented copy: Short, actionable text highlights the recipient’s benefits instead of product specifications. For example, “Help them step up their filmmaking game”
  
• Clear CTAs:Prominent buttons like “SHOP ALL GUIDES” and “Shop Now” ensure a smooth path to purchase across sections.
  
• Added value & Trust signals: A clean footer reinforces trust with icons for Price Match Guarantee, Money-Back Guarantee, 24/7 Service, and physical store details.

Christmas gift guide email template

2. Christmas shipping reminder email example from Moment

A last-minute Christmas shipping reminder email example from Moment creates urgency and drives immediate purchases before the delivery cutoff.

• Use urgency-based messaging — Headlines like “There’s still time!” effectively nudge last-minute shoppers to act fast.
  
• Highlight shipping deadlines clearly — Specify exact cut-off times and shipping options (e.g., Order by 11:59 PM PST, Two-Day Shipping).
  
• Include a bold, action-oriented CTA — A simple button like “Get Gifting” drives immediate clicks.
  
• Keep visuals clean and product-focused: Minimalist design with featured products keeps attention on what’s available.
  
• Add convenience incentives: Promos like “Buy Now, Pay Later with Klarna” reduce purchase hesitation during the holiday rush.

Christmas shipping deadline email template

Related reading: 10 Email Frequency Best Practices For 2025

3. 25% Off Christmas discount email for pet lovers

This email promotes a festive Christmas sale for pet lovers, encouraging shoppers to buy gifts for their furry friends with a 25% sitewide discount.

Key takeaways:

• Niche holiday targeting: Tailor campaigns to specific audiences (e.g., pet owners) for a stronger emotional appeal.
  
• Visual storytelling: Featuring a dog in cozy holiday gear makes the email relatable and heartwarming.
  
• Clear offer placement: The “25% OFF Sitewide” message appears multiple times, reinforcing the incentive.
  
• Strong CTAs: Buttons like “SHOP SALE NOW” and “SHOP WITH 25% OFF” guide readers directly to purchase.
  
• Product highlight section: Showcasing specific items (e.g., dog carriers) connects the promotion to tangible products, boosting conversions.

Christmas discount email template

4. Merry Quizmas email from Uplers

This festive email turns holiday greetings into an interactive experience with a fun Christmas quiz.

It focuses on engagement and entertainment rather than direct selling.

Key takeaways:

• Engage through interactivity: Turn your holiday emails into games or quizzes to boost engagement and click rates.
  
• Use playful, festive copy: Puns like “Merry Quizmas” make the content memorable and fun.
  
• Incorporate a cheerful design: Simple email design graphics with trees and snow evoke holiday spirit without clutter.
  
• Strong, themed CTA: Creative buttons like “I’m ready to jingle all the way” keep the tone consistent and encourage participation.

Christmas email template for quiz and polls:

5. Christmas email example from Chick-fil-a

This Christmas email introduces Chick-fil-A’s annual animated short film, “The Snow Globe,” to create connection and brand loyalty.

Key takeaways:

• Focus is brand-building: The email is entirely dedicated to storytelling and emotional connection, which builds loyalty.
• Clear, singular goal: The primary action is to watch the film. This minimizes confusion and drives high click-through rates to the video content.
• Implies a tradition: Highlighting the “Original Story” and the character “Sam returns” suggests this is an annual event, encouraging anticipation.
• Personalization: The copy uses the personalized greeting, “Mike, you’re invited…”, making the message feel exclusive.

Christmas email template: Behind-the-scenes/contest

6. Christmas email for re-releasing seasonal products

This Christmas email example from Methodical announces the re-release of a seasonal coffee blend, “Christmas Vacation,”.

Moreover, it highlights its specific flavor profile and origins to drive immediate sales.

Key takeaways:

• Scarcity and exclusivity (The Re-release): Using the term “RE-RELEASE” taps into customer nostalgia. Thus, creating urgency without using aggressive sales language.
  
• Appeals to Connoisseurs (Product Detail): The email provides meticulous detail on the product: Tasting Notes and Components. This appeals directly to coffee enthusiasts and justifies a premium price.
  
• Clear, singular CTA: The only prominent button is “Order Christmas Vacation.” This singular focus guides the customer directly to the purchase page, maximizing conversion.
  
• Focus on emotional benefit: The sub-headline “A coffee blended for gathering” links the product not just to a cherished holiday activity.

Seasonal product re-release email template

7. Christmas gift pack email

This email promotes a curated Christmas gift pack designed to offer “clean energy and focus”. It uses a personalized countdown to create urgency for holiday shopping.

Key takeaways:

• The email solves a common holiday problem (stress) by promoting the product as a solution for energy and focus.
  
• Bundling the pouch with a ceramic mug increases the perceived gift value and makes it holiday-ready.
  
• The countdown (“Christmas is in 18 days”) and personalized greeting (“Hello Smiles Davis”) add urgency and a personal touch.

Merry Christmas gift pack email template:

8. Merry Christmas and New Year greeting email example

This email sends humorous Christmas wishes and encourages optimism for the new year, acknowledging the past year with playful artwork.

Key takeaways:

• The funny, casual headline grabs attention and sets a bold, youthful tone.
• The email focuses on empathy and togetherness instead of selling great for building relationships.
• The custom cartoon artwork makes the email unique and memorable.
• The social media icons encourage followers to stay connected beyond the email.

Christmas & New Year greeting email template

9. Exclusive holiday text alerts email

This email uses a festive, conversational text message visual to promote the brand’s SMS program. It offers subscribers exclusive early access to holiday deals and promotions.

Key takeaways:

• Clear value proposition: The body copy concisely states why the user should sign up: “The holidays are right around the corner and we’ve got a lot of great specials in store.”
  
• Focus on exclusivity: The main headline and copy emphasize “exclusive access” and “first to know,” clearly positioning the SMS channel as a VIP gateway to the best holiday offers, motivating sign-ups.

Exclusive holiday text alerts email template:

10. The low alcohol, low-stress Christmas gift email

This email promotes a product as the perfect, easy gift solution, adopting a modern, benefit-focused tone.

Key takeaways:

• Brilliant headline (problem/solution): The headline “The low alcohol, low stress, Christmas gift” is highly effective. It immediately identifies the product category (low alcohol) and links it to a desirable benefit (low stress).
• Clear value proposition: The body copy reinforces the message: “Mary makes everything easy. Including Christmas gifts.” This simple statement positions the product as the hassle-free solution for holiday shopping.

The Christmas gift email template:

Design and copy: Making your emails “Christmassy”

To truly capture attention, your Christmas email strategy needs a generous dose of festive flair without sacrificing professionalism or clarity.

Subject lines, pre-headers, and copy

These elements are your immediate chance to stand out in a crowded inbox and create a sense of holiday urgency or delight.

• Subject lines (Create urgency & Festivity):
  • Use seasonal emojis: Integrate icons like 🎄🎁❄️ to catch the eye. Avoid too many emojis as they may trigger spam filters.
    
  • Focus on gifting: Lead with the gift solution: “Solved: Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything.”
    
  • Highlight deadlines: Create instant action: “Last Call for Guaranteed Christmas Delivery!” or “4 Hours Left: Our Biggest Holiday Discount Ends Soon.”
    
• Pre-headers (Expand the offer):
  • Use the pre-header to expand on the subject line’s offer or to clearly state the shipping information that drives urgency:
    
  • For example, “Order by 11:59 PM PST tonight to get it under the tree!” or “Plus, gift wrapping on all orders over $50.”
    
• Body copy (Be warm & clear):
  • Keep it concise and focus on the emotional benefit of the product (e.g., “The perfect scent for a cozy Christmas morning,” not “Scented candle, 8oz.”).
    
  • Use festive vocabulary (jolly, festive, merry, sparkling, cozy, wonder) to build the holiday mood.

Visuals – Image, design elements, color palette

The right look transforms an ordinary email into a festive announcement.

• Color palette: Shift your typical branding to incorporate traditional holiday colors (rich reds, deep forest greens, gold, silver) or a winter theme (icy blues, whites, and shimmering metallics).
  
• Design elements: Use subtle visual cues like snowflakes, twinkling lights, holly, or ribbon borders.
  
• Photography: Feature your products alongside festive props (pine branches, ribbons, or cozy settings). Showing products packaged or already in a holiday setting helps customers visualize them as gifts.

Related reading: 10 Email Frequency Best Practices For 2025

Readability – Email layout

During the peak sales period, shoppers are time-poor. Your email must be easy to read and act upon immediately.

• Mobile responsiveness: This is non-negotiable. Ensure your email is responsive and renders perfectly on phones, as many people check emails on the go.
  
• Scannability: Use clear headings (H1, H2) and bold text to highlight key information (discounts, deadlines, codes).
  
• Clear CTA: Use large, contrasting buttons that are impossible to miss. Phrases like “Shop the Sale,” “Get Your Gift Guide,” or “Final Hours” are better than a generic “Click Here.”
  
• White space: Don’t cram too much information together. Ample white space improves readability and draws the eye to your essential elements.

Personalization & segmentation

The holiday season generates immense revenue because people are shopping for others. Use your data to send hyper-relevant messages.

• Basic personalization: Always use the customer’s name in the subject line or greeting.
  
• Behavioral segmentation:
  • Past purchasers: Recommend accessories or complementary products to what they bought last year.
  • Window shoppers: Send an email focusing on the specific product category they browsed (e.g., “Still eyeing our [Product]? It makes a great gift!”).

Wrap up!

The Christmas season isn’t just about boosting sales — it’s about building emotional connections and spreading joy while driving measurable results.

From gift guides and flash sales to interactive quizzes and heartfelt greetings, each example we explored shows how creativity and timing can turn simple emails into powerful marketing tools.

So, this holiday season – focus on relevance, personalization, and festive storytelling. 🎄

Make your emails feel like a gift in the inbox, not just another promotion.

Also read:

10 Best Customer Acquisition Strategies for 2025

10 Proven Strategies to Increase Repeat Customers

Marketer’s Guide to Improve SMS Deliverability by 95%

Frequently asked questions