Holiday 2025 was a story of contrasts. While overall revenue held steady, consumer behavior shifted in ways that will shape this year’s 2026 strategies.

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1. Shoppers bought fewer items, but higher-priced products paired with consistent discounts pushed average order value up – revealing both opportunity and caution for retailers.

Revenue, Orders, and Price Sensitivity

• Revenue: +0.5% YOY
• Orders: -16% YOY
• Average Order Value (AOV): +18% YOY (~$180)
• Conversion Rate (CVR): -22% YOY

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2. Despite flat revenue, shoppers were selective. Higher-priced products combined with consistent discounts drove up AOV, but fewer orders led to a drop in overall CVR.

Cyber Week highlights:

• Sales grew 5% overall
• Thanksgiving orders: -2%
• Black Friday orders: -1%
  

Channel Performance Highlights

• AI Referral Traffic: +758% YOY in November
  Shoppers increasingly used AI as a shopping assistant.
• BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) Adoption: +12% spike on Cyber Monday
  Consumers opted for financing to complete purchases under time pressure.

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3. Brands that extended promotions beyond traditional Cyber Week (non-core days) captured revenue from shoppers pacing their purchases.

• Only 29% of brands saw better Cyber Monday sales this year.

‍Wrap Up

Holiday 2025 performance may have appeared steady at first glance, but a closer look reveals more intentional shoppers and evolving behaviors. As brands adapt to these shifts with personalization, timely messaging, and smarter orchestration, we expect these trends to continue shaping engagement and performance into 2026.

Stay tuned for our second holiday recap, where we’ll break down the Email and SMS strategies that moved the needle, and what you can apply to your 2026 campaigns.