Holiday Shopping Trends in 2025: What to Expect

The holiday season is a golden opportunity for brands to make a splash and boost sales. In 2024, U.S. holiday spending has grown and will make almost $ 1 trillion! This tendency is likely to continue in 2025, too. To boost holiday sales volumes, brands go out with exclusive deals, limited-edition items, and special holiday-themed products. This approach is fine but not sufficient. Consumer buying behaviors and expectations are constantly changing. Retailer campaigns must match these shifts and develop strategies to connect with holiday shoppers. This tactic will not only boost sales but also strengthen customer loyalty during this key shopping season. So, what’s going to be the trend in 2025?

What are the peaks for holiday shopping?

The shopping process never stops. Knowing these peak times, businesses can better plan their marketing, stock, and employee schedules to enjoy higher profits. However, they must thoroughly prepare for a shopping boom. These dates are:

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These days kick off the holiday shopping season. Crowds of customers hunt for big discounts online and in stores.
• Thanksgiving Weekend. Many shoppers start early as retailers offer special deals well before the holiday.
• Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Last-minute shoppers rush for gifts and party supplies, so shops must be ready for 24/7 sales.
• Post-Christmas sales. After Christmas, stores offer deep discounts on leftover holiday stock. Thousands of shoppers try to snag these bargains.

Speed and convenience are key success factors of holiday shopping in 2025, especially for online and mobile purchases. Businesses can use invoice templates to streamline billing during peak times like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and post-Christmas sales, ensuring smooth and timely payment processes.

What holiday shopping trends will dominate in 2025?

To get the most out of holiday periods, you must know how people buy. There are many factors that influence shoppers—from when they’re making purchases to how they prefer to pay and what they’re buying.

Timing of purchases

Everyone has their own buying schedule, but holiday shopping happens in three distinct ways.

• Early shopping

Holiday shopping will start earlier than ever. With concerns over potential shipping delays and stock shortages, more consumers are expected to begin buying as early as October. In fact, a growing percentage of shoppers now take advantage of pre-holiday sales events like Amazon’s Prime Day or other fall sales. Brands that offer early discounts or incentives for pre-holiday purchases will benefit from this growing trend.

• Peak shopping days

Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain critical sales events,  but other dates are gaining importance. Events like Green Monday (the second Monday of December) and Super Saturday (the last Saturday before Christmas) are the best deal days before Christmas. It is worth planning inventory and promotions for these specific days.

• Last-minute purchases

30% of customers will come to buy a last-minute gift. Businesses that offer quick service like same-day delivery or curbside pickup will attract these shoppers. Marketing last-minute deals in the week leading up to Christmas can drive incredible sales. So, companies should make special preparations for this period. 

Payment methods

Consumer payment preferences also change – they look for more convenience and flexibility, especially during a busy holiday period.

• Flexible options like BNPL

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) will be popular in 2025. It allows customers to split payments over time without interest. 3 in 4 people already use this method, and half of GEN Z will use it by 2025. This number will rise as consumers look for flexible ways to manage holiday budgets. Retailers that offer BNPL at checkout will likely see increased conversion rates.

• Social commerce (purchased via social media channels)

Direct sales through social media platforms are mainstream today. Consumers are buying on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Social commerce sales are projected to exceed $105  billion in the U.S. by 2025. So, brands must optimize their presence on social platforms and consider influencer marketing.

• Contactless payments

The pandemic made contactless payments routine, and this trend will continue in 2025. Shoppers now expect to use mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and tap-to-pay cards for faster and safer checkouts. Today, nearly 90% of American consumers use contactless payments, and retailers must adopt the technology.

Purchase categories

What do people most often buy during the holiday period? Modern economic concerns make practical and budget-friendly gifts popular. However, all kinds of gift cards are in demand, as well as post-holiday sales remain strong.

• Budget-friendly goods

In view of ongoing economic uncertainty, shoppers in 2025 will monitor their budgets. There will be a greater demand for affordable gifts as customers look for good value in every purchase. How to attract these budget-conscious shoppers? Businesses should offer bundles, promotions, and tiered pricing that provide more value for each purchase.

• Gift -cards

Gift cards remain a top choice for holiday shoppers, especially as they provide flexibility for both the buyer and the recipient. In 2025, Americans are expected to spend $382 billion on gift cards. Brands should promote customizable or themed gift cards as a key part of their holiday marketing strategy.

• After-holiday deals

Many consumers wait until after Christmas to make personal purchases, taking advantage of steep discounts on leftover holiday inventory. 15% of the US consumers always participate in post-holiday sales. Attractive markdowns on remaining stock can help businesses clear their inventory and improve revenues.

How can brands maximize their holiday sales?

Every brand wants to sell more during holidays, but for this, they need a strong strategy. Here are little marketing secrets:

• Use multiple channels. Allow customers to shop online, in-store, or use curbside pickup.
• Offer mobile shopping. Your website and app must be optimized for smartphones.
• Offer free shipping. Encourage online orders and ship them for free.
• Control your inventory. Have enough popular items available to avoid stockouts.
• Make returns easy. Simplify returns to build customer confidence.
• Use social media. Use popular channels to sell on social media.
• Offer extra services. Gift wrapping or personalized greeting cards give you a competitive edge.

Wrapping up

No business will be left without good sales during the holiday. But do not leave your revenue to the chance when you can easily maximize it. Get armed with the above insights to implement little changes to your traditional selling methods. The results will impress you!