We compiled these trends from over 100 brands, comparing year-over-year data for the date range December 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.
December 2025: Record Holiday Spending
December 2025 ended the year with strong momentum. Sessions increased 4.1%, orders grew 3.4%, and demand rose 3.1%. Holiday sales set new records with growth between 3.9 and 4.2 % compared to 2024.
Overall, the 2025 holiday season reached more than one trillion dollars in sales. Following a strong start to the season, conversion improved and momentum remained positive after Cyber Week. Buy Online Pay In Store (BOPIS) increased sharply in the final week before Christmas. Returns for many brands were also modestly lower for the season.
Consumer spending remains active but increasingly disciplined as inflation and labor market concerns are driving more value oriented behavior. McKinsey reports 3 out of 4 consumers traded down in at least one category, signaling a more pragmatic approach to spending.
Looking ahead to early 2026, consumer spending is likely to remain cautious but stable. Elevated essential costs and sensitivity to labor market conditions may limit discretionary growth, yet strong digital adoption and ongoing shifts toward value driven purchasing patterns should help maintain moderate retail momentum.
December 2025 Marketing Trends
Trend #1: Holiday 2025 Recap: A Strong Finish with Record Growth
The 2025 holiday season ended on a strong note, with total sales surpassing one trillion dollars for the first time. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that sales from November 1 through December 31 grew about 4.1%, landing near the top of its 3.7 to 4.2% forecast. NRF data showed December alone rose 3.54% year over year, helped by a late Thanksgiving that shifted Cyber Monday into the month. Early reporting from payment networks aligned with this trend. Mastercard reported a 3.9% increase from November 1 to December 21, while Visa showed 4.2% growth. Both noted that ecommerce continued to expand faster than physical stores.
Online spending reached a record 257.8 billion dollars, up 6.8% year over year according to Adobe. Twenty five days exceeded four billion dollars in online sales, Cyber Week reached 44.2 billion dollars, and Cyber Monday and Black Friday generated 14.25 billion and 11.8 billion dollars respectively. Mobile devices drove 56.4% of transactions.
Omnichannel activity accelerated late in the season. Salesforce reported that Buy Online Pay in Store (BOPIS) made up nearly one in five online orders during the holidays. In the final five days before Christmas, BOPIS rose to roughly one in three orders. This highlights how inventory visibility and clear order cutoffs can be more valuable than faster shipping alone.
Adobe found that total seasonal returns declined 1.2%, although returns during the week after Christmas increased 4.7%. The NRF estimates that 15.8% of overall sales and 19.3% of online sales were returned in 2025.
Trend #2: Super Bowl 2026 Advertising Trends Marketers Should Watch
As Super Bowl LX approaches, this year’s ads are expected to strike a fresh balance between creativity, technology, and trust. Brands are preparing for a moment where entertainment value must meet emotional relevance, and where technological innovation supports stronger, more meaningful connections with viewers.
Experts expect brands to lean into light, emotionally warm storytelling that prioritizes joy, nostalgia and human connection. This year’s viewers are not tuning in for heavy messages. They want to be entertained. Budweiser is leaning heavily into this trend with a heritage centric campaign that celebrates its place in American culture. Its teaser, featuring iconic Clydesdale horses, hints at a nostalgic, feel-good direction.
Trust driven storytelling is emerging as another major theme. Brands are positioning themselves as supporters instead of sellers, reflecting a broader shift toward marketing strategies that prioritize sincerity.
Another emerging trend is the rise of interactive ad formats that engage viewers in real time. Brands may incorporate scanable or tapable calls to action that unlock offers or experiences during the broadcast.
Together, these trends highlight a Super Bowl environment where emotional resonance, trust building, and interactive innovation work side by side. Brands that can blend all three are well positioned to stand out during one of the most competitive advertising stages of the year.
Trend #3: Tips for Managing Returns
The NRF estimates nearly 20 percent of online orders were returned in 2025. Returns are costly, but leading brands show how smarter tools, policies, and processes can reduce volume, protect margins, and improve customer experience.
- Prevent returns at the source: Expand fit tools, richer PDP content, post‑purchase “how to use” content and AI‑guided selection. Beauty brands like Fenty use virtual shade matching to cut mismatches in cosmetics that otherwise lead to high return rates.
- Modernize policies to balance CX and Cost: Keep in‑person box‑free drop‑off free where condition can be verified, offer free exchanges or instant credit, consider mail‑in fees for low‑margin items, and make policies visible pre‑purchase.
- Recover value faster: Tighten return‑to‑resale cycle times and route‑to‑value quickly to preserve resale price. Best Buy relies on systematic open‑box and refurb grading to move electronics back into inventory efficiently. Patagonia quickly refurbishes and resells returned items with their Worn Wear program, regaining margin and reducing waste.
- Targeted fraud controls: Use risk‑based screening and in‑person verification for high‑risk flows. Track reason codes and SKU patterns to spot wardrobing and box swaps. Fashion brands may also consider using anti‑wardrobing tags placed in visible areas to prevent wearing and returning.
- Shift customer behavior upstream: Promote local drop‑off by offering instant store credit, bonus loyalty points, or quicker refunds. Encourage exchanges over refunds with recommended alternatives or promotion bundles. Brands like Levi’s and Lululemon offer instant credits for trade‑ins, steering customers toward exchanges and store drop‑offs that lower return costs and increase repurchase rates.
Trend #4: What is Intent-Based Postal Retargeting?
Intent-based postal retargeting is a powerful way to reach out to customers and prospects who have shown interest in your products or services. By using direct mail to retarget these individuals, you can increase your chances of converting them into customers.
Benefits of Intent-Based Postal Retargeting
- Increased conversions and revenue
- Improved brand awareness
- Higher ROI
- More targeted messaging
How Does Intent-Based Postal Retargeting Work?
- Identify your target audience.
- Collect data on their online behavior.
- Use this data to create a mailing list of potential customers.
- Send them a direct mail campaign with personalized messaging.
Get Started with Intent-Based Postal Retargeting
If you’re interested in learning more about intent-based postal retargeting, please contact us today. We can help you create a custom campaign that will reach your target audience and drive results.
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Marketing KPIs: December 2025 Trends by Industry
Marketing KPIs: December 2025 Trends by Company Revenue
$100M+ | $15M-$100M | $0-$15M
Marketing KPIs: December 2025 Trends by Industry
Apparel Industry
Sessions rose 2.1%, while orders grew 3.5%, indicating modestly improved conversion efficiency versus November. Demand increased 3.6%, roughly in line with order growth, as average order values normalized following November’s elevated holiday baskets. Overall, YoY momentum remained positive, with efficiency gains offsetting softer traffic and AOV in the post–Cyber Week period.
Home Brands
Sessions grew 10.2%, maintaining positive engagement but slowing sharply from November’s holiday surge. Orders declined 10.5%, signaling a significant drop in conversion efficiency, while demand fell 2.1%, reversing last month’s strong revenue gains. This trend reflects post-holiday normalization and softer purchase intent, underscoring the need for targeted clearance promotions and retention strategies as we transition into Q1.
Outdoor Brands
Sessions grew 10.3%, slightly below November’s pace but still reflecting strong engagement. Orders held steady at 5.9%, signaling stable conversion performance. Demand increased 6.1%, moderating from last month as average order values normalized post-holiday. Overall, the Outdoor category sustained positive momentum into December, though revenue efficiency softened, highlighting the need for clearance and retention strategies heading into Q1.
Specialty Retailers
Sessions remained strong at 16%, reflecting sustained consumer interest. Orders improved slightly to 0.9%, reversing October’s decline but still trailing behind traffic growth. Demand grew just 0.9%, signaling stabilization after last month’s sharp drop but highlighting ongoing challenges in conversion and revenue efficiency. While engagement is healthy, the Specialty category needs targeted strategies to better capitalize on high traffic and drive stronger holiday performance.
Marketing KPIs: December 2025 Trends by Company Revenue
Tier 1 Brands
Sessions grew 5.1%, largely in line with November. Orders rose 4.3%, trailing traffic and indicating softer conversion efficiency versus last month. Demand increased 1.7%, reflecting further compression in average order values amid promotional activity. Overall, Tier 1 brands sustained positive YoY momentum, but December showed cooler growth and revenue efficiency, underscoring the need to shore up conversion and protect AOV as we move into Q1.
Tier 2 Brands
Sessions rose 9.2%, moderating from November’s pace. Orders increased 3.3%, trailing traffic and signaling softer conversion efficiency. Demand grew 8.8%, still outpacing orders but below November’s elevated AOV, reflecting normalization after peak holiday merchandising. Overall, Tier 2 brands maintained positive YoY momentum, though December showed cooler growth and efficiency, underscoring the need to shore up conversion and protect AOV heading into Q1.
Tier 3 Brands
Sessions climbed 16.1%, accelerating from November and reflecting strong shopper interest. Orders declined 3.3%, widening the gap to traffic and signaling continued conversion challenges. Demand grew 0.7%, down sharply from November as average order values compressed amid heavier promotional activity. Overall, Tier 3 brands saw increased browsing but weaker monetization, highlighting the need to bolster conversion and protect AOV heading into Q1.