2026 Holiday Retail Checklist for Canadian Retail and CPG Teams

The holiday retail checklist

1. Can shoppers find and buy your product?

• ☐ Check that priority SKUs, seasonal packs, and promoted sizes are on the shelf in your highest-priority stores.
• ☐ Look for empty facings or missing items on both the main shelf and secondary displays. An endcap can be full while the regular shelf is empty.
• ☐ Recheck fast-selling items after a peak shopping weekend to see whether they’ve been replenished.

2. Are displays set up as planned?

• ☐ Confirm that endcaps, floor displays, and other seasonal placements are in the agreed locations and visible from the main aisle.
• ☐ Check that displays have the right assortment, current signage, and enough stock for shoppers to buy.
• ☐ Capture a wide photo of the placement and a close-up of the products and signage so your team can see what needs fixing.

3. Do prices and promotions match?

• ☐ Compare the shelf tag with the flyer, retailer app, or product page for the same store and pack size. Where practical, verify the price at checkout.
• ☐ Check that loyalty requirements, quantity limits, and offer dates are easy to understand wherever the promotion appears.
• ☐ Record the store, SKU, and a photo or screenshot for each discrepancy so the right team can follow up.

4. Does the online shopping experience hold up?

• ☐ Search the retailer’s site or app using terms shoppers would use, such as “holiday chocolates” or “crackers for a cheese board.” See whether your product appears and how it’s presented.
• ☐ Review product names, images, pack sizes, and promotional details, especially for seasonal bundles that look similar to everyday items.
• ☐ Select a few priority store locations and check whether promoted items can be added to a pickup or delivery basket where those services are offered.

5. What will shoppers see beside your brand?

• ☐ Note which competing products have prominent placements, stronger offers, or seasonal packs that are easier to spot.
• ☐ Look at the shelf from a shopper’s perspective. Can someone quickly tell which product is on offer and what’s included?
• ☐ Record what a shopper could buy instead if your promoted SKU is missing. That helps your team see which availability gaps are most urgent.

6. Who will fix issues before the next rush?

• ☐ Start with stores where a problem would have the biggest impact, such as high-volume locations or stores carrying a featured promotion.
• ☐ Assign an owner and a deadline to each urgent issue. Prioritize problems that prevent a purchase, such as a missing promoted SKU or an incorrect checkout price.
• ☐ Recheck flagged stores to confirm fixes and share recurring issues with your retail partners.

See what holiday shoppers are seeing

If you’re short on time, start with the stores and SKUs featured in your biggest holiday promotions. Check them when the offer goes live and again after the first busy weekend. Those two visits can show whether the promotion was set up correctly and whether it held up once shoppers arrived.

Field Agent Canada can help you verify what’s happening in stores through display audits, price checks, on-shelf availability checks, and competitive audits. If you want to understand why shoppers overlook a display or choose a different product, a shopalong can help you hear what went into that decision.

Need to verify a holiday promotion while it’s still live? Talk to us about the stores, SKUs, and dates you want to check.