Every December, it happens like clockwork. Christmas campaigns hit their final sprint. Budgets get drained. Creative teams sign off Slack with a weary “see you in January.” The industry collectively powers down as if someone unplugged the router.

Except consumers don’t.

While most marketers are nursing eggnog hangovers, shoppers are still online—scrolling, searching, and spending. It’s that weird limbo week where nobody knows what day it is, everyone’s full of glazed ham, and somehow the economy keeps humming.

Pinterest has a name for it: Q5.

What Is Q5?

Q5 isn’t a fiscal quarter; it’s a psychological one — the stretch between December 26 and December 31 when the gifting frenzy stops and self-indulgence takes over. The moment people stop being Santa and start being their own muse.

Pinterest’s data shows that over half of its weekly users keep shopping online during this period, and nearly half still hit stores. Search activity spikes to some of the highest levels of the year. The frantic “gifts for mum” energy transforms into self-focused searches like “new year makeup,” “home organization,” “budget planner,” and “how to glow up in 2026.”

This isn’t just post-holiday noise. It’s a full-on self-buying boom.

And smart brands treat it like what it really is — the bonus round.

Why Q5 Is a Marketer’s Cheat Code

Think about what defines this week psychologically. For once, people have:

1. Time. Work is slow, meetings are cancelled, and no one’s checking email.
2. Money. Holiday cash gifts, bonuses, and returns add disposable income.
3. Permission. The social expectation of “me-time” is at its peak.
4. Freedom. No looming deadlines or kid drop-offs — just cozy downtime and a Wi-Fi connection.

Holiday gifting was about generosity; Q5 is about reinvention. Consumers are no longer buying out of obligation — they’re buying out of aspiration. They’re setting the stage for who they want to become next year.

Pinterest calls it “a bonus marketing moment.” But let’s call it what it is: the most underutilized selling window of the year.

Who Wins in Q5

The brands that benefit most are those aligned with reward, reset, and revelation — what Pinterest calls “reset-coded” categories:

• Beauty, skincare, and personal care.
• Home organization, interiors, and DIY.
• Health, fitness, and mindfulness.
• Fashion and wardrobe updates.
• Financial tools or planning products.
• Lifestyle upgrades and self-improvement.

This is when consumers reimagine their next version of self: the more organized one, the healthier one, the social host, the financially responsible adult, or the someone-who-finally-has-a-skin-routine type.

If your brand helps them step into that identity, they’re all ears — or rather, all clicks.

The Playbook: How to Win in Q5

Marketers often make the mistake of treating this as an aftershock of Christmas. It’s not. Q5 isn’t about wrapping up the year; it’s about setting the tone for the next. Treat it like a fresh campaign phase — one that speaks to self-intent.

Here’s how to capitalize:

1. Keep your ads running – Don’t hit pause after Christmas morning. Everyone else is dark; that’s the whole opportunity. Maintain your campaigns for at least one more week — even better if you adjust your messaging to match Q5 mindset.
2. Shift your creative – Move your copy and visuals from gifting and family to self-care and transformation. Think “Treat yourself,” “Reset your space,” “Glow into 2026,” or “Your new era starts now.”
3. Use aspirational imagery – Ads that feel like inspiration — not interruption — win. Blend into the user’s planning process. Make your visuals look like ideas worth saving to a board.
4. Tap into Q5 themes - Anchor your campaigns around “home refresh,” “habit change,” “style update,” or “goal setting.” These are the thought loops consumers naturally fall into during the reset week.
5. Test aggressively – CPMs are low; the risk is minimal. This is the perfect sandbox for creative tests, new audience segments, or A/B experiments before the costly rush of Q1 begins.
6. Think of January as the endgame – Q5 isn’t about extracting a few extra sales. It’s about seeding the narrative for the year ahead. The mindset you shape in this week defines what your audience is primed for when January resolutions take hold.

Culture doesn’t pause on December 25. People don’t retreat to mountaintops to meditate on gratitude. They’re sprawled on couches, slightly hungover, drunk-shopping, and imagining how to fix themselves in the new year. They’re not festive — they’re reflective.
And reflection sells.

So before your team hits “pause” this December, ask: Are you clocking out — or cashing in on the fifth quarter?