Alongside the biggest family feast of the year, consumers are planning pre- and post-Christmas parties, New Year's Eve and a plethora of other events that require catering or at the very least cheap white wine and Twiglets for the office party.
However, this traditional "spend now, pay later" attitude may with the recent downturn in the economy and the subsequent belt-tightening see this competition even more fiercely fought than in recent years.
So how will marketers ensure that their brand is at the forefront of consumer consciousness when they are preparing to spend their limited budgets on the big Christmas shop?
It is key to recognise that consumer decisions are now influenced by many more nuanced factors than "BOGOF" deals and supermarket location.
The growth of food and drink shopping online means that brands that want to get noticed have to adapt to this profound cultural shift. Relying on prominent position in-store is no longer enough. We are seeing more and more pre-purchase online discussion between consumers.
The ability to seek out product and service recommendations from fellow consumers, driven by social networks, online communities and forums is a format that consumers are embracing due to the seemingly unbiased source of the information.
We've long been able to get another customer's opinion on a restaurant, hotel or tradesman with sites such as Toptable, Tripadvisor or Rated People, but the growth of food related user-generated sites -- with recommendations ranging from which supermarket to shop at, the cheapest wine deals, right down to the best type of gravy -- means that consumers are increasingly empowered and brands need to recognise this.
So, how do marketers tap into this space? Well, honesty is a pretty good starting point. A brand can't just hijack these forums, interrupt a discussion and announce that it is clearly the best. Consumers can easily see through this approach and can feel cornered by a brand.
Instead, the tactic must be to seek out where the real opinion-makers are and the sites that support the discussions that affect and reflect your brand. Relevance is fundamental online where the interactive nature of the medium makes consumers even more discerning.
You need to appear in the places where consumers who may be interested in your brand are interacting, in order to encourage debate and review. And that appearance needs to make sense.
Trying to sell deals on champagne while someone is searching for a new car is clearly ridiculous. However, by appearing in a relevant space and in a non-intrusive way, your brand can seamlessly fit into that consumer's specific online experience.
Some brands go for quantity over quality with infiltration and ‘spamming' of forums and message boards across all manner of sites. However, by blanketing every discussion site going, the brand will appear insincere, impersonal and more likely irritating.
Instead of garnering interest in your offering, you very may well put consumers off. However, by targeting specific audiences, you are more likely to ensure brand integrity and interest from consumers that will recognise the relevance of your offering at the point of making important purchasing decisions.
That is why the growth of social networks that are driven by specific hobbies, interests and life stages are increasing in popularity among consumers and are attracting a great deal of attention from the advertising community.
Many brands have benefited from setting up Facebook groups. However, many consumers, especially the cynical and savvy age group that make up the core of the Facebook community, can see through the "bandwagon" marketing ruse.
Yet, targeting people in an environment that is relevant and specific to them is more likely to be perceived as useful rather than "salesy".
So as Christmas looms, brands need to think carefully about where they choose to spend their online marketing budget.
In order to stay ahead of the game, brands must communicate with consumers at the point where their message, and what they have to offer, will be warmly received.
It could mean the difference between selling ice to Eskimos or selling to someone about to mix a vodka tonic.
Esmee Williams is vice president of marketing at Allrecipes.co.uk