The holiday season is an important time for ecommerce businesses. Spanning from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, it’s a period that most companies build their year around. With surges in sales, changing customer behaviors, and lots of competition, the most successful ecommerce businesses are those that are well-prepared for the holiday shopping season.
In this guide:
Here are some of the key ecommerce holiday shopping trends for 2025 and the strategic responses businesses can take to stay ahead.
Trend
Strategy
US ecommerce holiday sales grew 8.7% to $241.4 billion in 2024. In 2025, figures are expected to increase, underscoring the importance of delivering an optimized user experience to maximize sales.
To ensure seamless shopping journeys for customers, ecommerce platforms should be robust, with any technical issues must be promptly resolved. Every good ecommerce website should have these features:
US retail mobile commerce holiday sales grew to $131.5 billion in 2024. This rise in mobile holiday shopping reflects how many brands have become mobile-first or have prioritized mobile sales as a strategic growth tactic. Here are a few features a good mobile ecommerce website will have:
This year, it is expected that more people will jump on the trend of shopping early. Research shows that in 2024, 8% of shoppers started their holiday shopping in September and 19% started in October, while just over half began in November.
Several factors are likely to have contributed to this surge in early shopping. This can include fear of missing out on desirable items, as well as the appeal of sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday, and Super Saturday.
Take advantage of this spike in early shopping by:
Offering multiple channels for purchase is a must. Customer journeys are no longer linear; people now purchase items by jumping between platforms, including social media platforms like TikTok Shop.
Customer journeys across all channels should be seamless and error free, facilitating as many conversions as possible. You should also ensure your branding stays consistent across all platforms to maintain your brand identity.
This means that every touchpoint, from your website to your social media profiles, must be frictionless and optimized to convey a consistent story in terms of your branding, marketing copy, visual aesthetics, and overall customer experience.
If you also have an offline channel, such as a brick-and-mortar store, be sure to prioritize integrating it with your online platforms. For example, you could offer buy-online, pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pickup options. This way, your customers still interact with your physical stores at the end of their online buying journey.
Another key holiday shopping trend is the adoption of buy now, pay later (BNPL). According to Adobe, an estimated $18 billion was spent on BNPL during the 2024 holiday season in the US. This payment option enables customers to pay for goods in installments, allowing them to access items they want without exceeding their budget. Offering this service can lead to more conversions as it encourages shoppers to purchase during the holiday season and spread the cost over time.
Social media plays a significant role in online shopping. To capitalize on this demand, businesses should optimize their presence on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. You can boost the efficiency of your social commerce by increasing activity through frequent posts and stories, interacting with followers in comments, and using influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing can help you boost engagement and reach new audiences. It can also build brand trust. Research shows that 57.6% of brands working with influencers have ecommerce stores.
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are changing the way people shop. According to Salesforce, 19% of holiday purchases were influenced by AI, a 6% increase from 2023. This can be attributed to the numerous benefits AI can bring, from offering customers a more personalized shopping experience to optimized search and advanced customer service.
Providing excellent customer service is always important, but it’s particularly paramount during the holiday season. Shoppers often make lots of purchases at once during this time, which can be stressful. The last thing they want is to receive bad customer service — so make sure your staff is prepared.
As customer service inquiries are likely to be higher during the holiday shopping season, you should provide multiple ways to deal with them. This is where your omnichannel operations come in. Ensure that your employees are trained to effectively address customer needs, both in person and online. A growing number of customers use social media direct messages (DMs) to contact brands, with Gen Z being the largest generation doing this. Be prepared to answer all inquiries via this channel promptly — ideally within 24 hours to ensure a positive experience.
With the rising cost of living, budgets are set to be tighter this year. This means customers will be searching for the best deals and offers. Businesses must therefore aim to offer more value for money, promoting affordable offers where possible. This can include bundles, promotions, and tiered pricing to appeal to the budget-conscious market.
However, shoppers aren’t alone in facing budget constraints, and businesses are also facing challenges. Digital marketing costs are rising while the average marketing budget in 2024 fell to 7.7% of total company revenue. To capitalize on the holiday shopping season’s buzz, companies will need to maximize return on investment (ROI) despite increased costs and limited budgets. There are several tactics that can help achieve this. For example, focusing directly on your target market and loyal customers can help reduce marketing costs, as they will require less promotion than customers new to your brand. Other measures include negotiating better deals with suppliers, optimizing marketing strategies, automating services using tools like AI, and emphasizing customer retention efforts.
Another key trend within holiday shopping is the growth and popularity of online marketplaces. Examples include Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Vinted, and Depop. These sites provide excellent opportunities for businesses of all sizes to buy and sell goods online. They also offer many benefits, such as increased accessibility and convenience, competitive pricing, and diverse consumer choice.
Different income groups will have varying spending habits, and it’s important for merchants to monitor trends and pinpoint the demographics to which they appeal. This will aid in developing business strategies related to product lines, pricing, promotions, and other key areas. For example, while low-income groups may respond better to discounts and offers, high-income consumers may value exclusivity and VIP services. Be sure to monitor economic shifts and consumer trends so that your business remains current with your audience’s evolving demands.
Returns can be a real issue for online retailers; in 2024 alone, total returns in the retail industry were projected to reach $890 billion. The apparel industry tends to face a high number of returns in particular. Due to this, many online retailers now charge for returns, much to the dismay of shoppers.
Many believe free returns are necessary for online retail, as shoppers can’t assess product suitability in the same way they can in physical stores. Instead, to limit returns, retailers can provide more comprehensive product visuals, such as 360-degree views and detailed product descriptions, so shoppers are better informed before making a purchase.
Want to appeal to more value-conscious consumers? The most effective way to achieve this is by highlighting your brand’s commitment to offering affordability, quality, and trust.
Here are a few ideas:
All businesses, whether online or offline, will want to capitalize on the holiday season and maximize their revenue. The sales you make will hopefully set the tone for the coming year and leave a positive impression with customers, encouraging them not only to return for future holiday shopping but also for everyday purchases throughout the year.
Here are our top recommendations for ecommerce businesses to succeed during the 2025 holiday season.
Although the holidays are the most hectic shopping time of the year for shoppers and businesses, they’re incredibly important, and with the right strategy, you can maximize profit. Knowing what to expect before customers start shopping is a great way to boost the benefits of the holiday season.
By staying up to date with customer buying trends both past and present, you can better prepare your business for a profitable future. Give customers an incentive to choose your business with mobile-first shopping, optimized customer journeys, free and easy returns, affordable and sustainable options, and more.
Adobe Commerce is here to help — during the holidays and beyond. Adobe Commerce offers a flexible and scalable platform that enables you to create engaging shopping experiences tailored to every type of customer. Create personalized content and easily reach customers — wherever they are, across multiple devices and marketplaces.
Watch the overview video to learn more about Adobe Commerce.
